Hair of the Dog
by brattyteenagewerewolf
Summary: Tino had been a bit stupid. He probably should have run when he'd first heard the growl from the shadows but he didn't. Now he's thrown into a violent world where all you can trust is your pack and your neighbours would kill you as soon as look at you. On top of this he's forced to deal with growing feelings for the werewolf who doomed him to this life. SuFin, DenNor
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: yay! New fic about my favourite mythical creature. The werewolf. First time writing the Nordics so please bear with me?**

_A shot in the dark_

_A past, Lost in space_

_And where do I start_

_The past and the chase_

_You hunted me down_

_Like a wolf, a predator_

_I felt like a deer in love's light_

_She Wolf- David Guetta_

Looking back Tino realised that he'd been a bit stupid. No, a bit stupid was putting it lightly, he'd been an idiot.

Had he been smart he never would have decided to take the shortcut home from his evening class. After all, in what world does walking alone across a dark park at night equal a smart move, especially when the one doing the walking is hardly the biggest or strongest boy around?

Had he been smart he also wouldn't of paused and look around for 'the probably cute but lost dog' that growled at him. No, he would have realised that a growl that loud had to have come from a very BIG dog. Not to mention one in a bad mood.

But no, he'd gone looking for the dog and, even when he caught a glimpse of thick silver fur and bared fangs that glinted in the moonlight, he didn't run.

No he'd stood there and tried to soothe the rather large animal that was charging at him with calming words. The canine would have easily reached his waist when standing possibly higher since it was hard to tell when that streamlined and thickly furred body was stretched out mid-leap. Its fur was white and silver, ears as sharply pointed as the intelligent face and dangerous looking fangs. Its eyes caught Tino's attention though, for they weren't a friendly brown or gold like a typical canine but a cold and calculating blue.

Tino would have liked to say that he'd done something smart after that but he couldn't. He'd fainted before he could even scream. His last memory being of the dog, no wolf he realised, bowling into him and sinking two-inch-long fangs into his shoulder.

Then, nothing but darkness.

.o.)O(.o.

The small Finn groaned when he eventually came to. His head was pounding and his shoulder was throbbing painfully. His fingers came away coated in congealing blood when he hesitantly reached up to touch it.

"L've 't" a gruff voice commanded, words marred by a thick Swedish accent. Tino immediately froze, glancing up only to give a small squeak of terror.

"W-w-who are you? What's going o-on?" he stammered, shrinking under the large man's glare. He had a bundle of bandages in his hands as he met the small blonde's purple-blue eyes with his own cold blue ones that were hidden by a pair of glasses.

Blue eyes… cold and calculating…

The memories of the previous night immediately came back to Tino and made him flinch away from the other's touch. He knew those eyes.

"st'p m'vin' 'nd I'll t'll ya… I n'd t' tr't 't" the man growled, narrowing his eyes as he grabbed the smaller boy's arm to try and clean it of blood and dirt.

"y-you… t-the wolf…" Tino whimpered, partly from the sting of antiseptic and partly from fear as his shoulder was bandaged with practiced ease.

"ja, wh't of 't?"

"w-who-"

"b'rw'ld. Th' B'ta of th' n'rd'c w'r'w'lf p'ck."

It took a moment for Tino to translate the words into recognisable English. When he did he came close to fainting all over again.

Berwald. The beta of the Nordic werewolf pack.

Something told him his life was about to become far more complicated…

.o.)O(.o.

The itching started a few hours later, starting at the site of the bite before radiating outwards. The itching soon turned to painful twitches though; every single one of Tino's nerves feeling like it was being teased with a red hot brand. His skin was feverishly warm by the time the sun set and he felt both parched and ravenous.

Berwald, despite his terrifying appearance turned out to be a life saver. He'd press a glass of water to the Finn's lips, coaxing him to drink at every available moment. His hands were cool on Tino's too hot skin and he even forgot to be scared of him when the pain struck.

Nothing could be done for food though. The small blonde couldn't keep anything down as his stomach rebelled, time and time again. He bit back cries every time. His skin felt like it was stretching, pulling taut before relaxing. Bone's shifted and changed beneath flushed flesh before settling back to their original positions.

Tears leaked from his clenched shut eyes as his body once again tried to move in ways that it was physically incapable of doing. Tino felt the brush of lips against his cheeks, smearing the salty trails on his flushed skin.

"'m s'rry… s' s'rry…" the gruff voice murmured, sounding authentically apologetic as he brushed tears away and held the trembling boy against him. "tr' n't t' f'ght 't…"

The words were meaningless though as Tino bit his lips to hold back a strangled whimper, the sound changing mid-cry and becoming rougher, more animalistic. His chest was heaving with each breath as his heart raced and beat a frantic rhythm against his ribs.

His senses became more acute, painfully so. Scents assaulted him mercilessly. He could taste his surroundings on his tongue. And the darkness, the darkness was too bright. It all made him whimper further as his skin no longer relaxed when it pulled taught, his bones no longer settling but continuing to shift and crack painfully. Clothing tore with a distinctive ripping sound.

His cry of pain twisted in his throat, becoming animalistic, lupine. Nothing more than a wordless howl before he finally fell limp but for the harsh pants tearing from his jaws. His body was still shaking as he tried to push himself upright, squirming free from Berwald's grasp.

He felt wrong. What he could see looked wrong.

Colours were too dim even if his sight was sharper. Scents… he closed his eyes to inhale deeply and still his trembling form and immediately picked up on a myriad of smells. He caught the scent of wolf, of man, wood, dirt, everything.

His ears twitched to focus on the steady breathing of the Swedish man in front of him, unable to make out the words as he reopened his eyes. He could feel himself close to panicking as he tried to make sense of everything.

"'t's 'k'y… j'st r'l'x…"

Why didn't the words make sense…? Tino was confused, not to mention scared when he realised that it wasn't the other man's accent that was making it hard to understand. His fear only increased tenfold when he growled and bared his teeth anxiously.

He tried to speak but nothing came out but those canine growls.

So for the first time since his first stupid act Tino did what he should have done from the beginning.

He turned and ran. He didn't know where or how. But still he ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

Yelps came from between his jaws as he picked up on every little thing that was wrong.

Air and twigs catching at a thick layer of fur.

The ground cutting into his paws.

Ears twitching at the faintest sound.

A tail curled as tightly between his legs as he could handle whilst still running.

No. no. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a dream. Just a nightmare. Tino tried to tell himself, wishing that he could just wake up already.

Wake up before the heavy but still light footfalls behind him caught up.

Wake up before he had to truly see himself.

Sadly his wish didn't come true and he had the breath knocked out of him as he yet again caught the scent of man, wolf and treated wood and sawdust. He rolled several times with the immense weight of the larger wolf on top of him, unable to stop himself from whimpering and trying to squirm free.

Berwald immediately put a stop to his attempts with a growl and a paw between his shoulder blades. Apart from the warning growl there was no sign of any malice in his stance. He was breathing heavily but his coat lay flat against his skin and his tail and ears were relaxed.

_Enough._

The word crossing his consciousness made Tino panic again but a soft nip to his ear made him freeze.

_I said enough._ Berwald growled. His accent was still there but nowhere near as apparent as it was when the man spoke. Like this it was extremely easy to realise what he was saying. Not to mention pick up on the underlying tone.

Once the Finn was still Berwald gave a canine sigh, licking at the ear he'd nipped soothingly. _I'm sorry. For everything. _He murmured, releasing the smaller wolf.

_I don't understand…? What's going on?_ Tino begged, shaking slightly as he sat up. His eyes were wide within a lupine face.

_You've become what I am. A werewolf. You weren't meant to… _the swede sighed again shaking his large head. _I'll explain later. What's your name?_

_T-Tino… I'm Tino._

The wolf gave an endearing growl, nuzzling the smaller one reassuringly before pulling back. _I'm sorry Tino. We'll change back and I'll take you to people who'll explain everything okay?_

**A/N2: and the first chapter is a go! Reviews are much appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: for the record, I hate writing Berwald's way of speaking. Especially when his accent gets as overpowering as it did last chapter.**

**Now some more terrified Tino! Matthias was meant to appear in this chapter but no luck. Next chapter it is then!**

**Hetalia isn't mine!**

_I feel a change_

_Back to a better day_

_(Shape shift)_

_Hair stands on the back of my neck_

_(Shape shift)_

_In wildness is the preservation of the world_

_So seek the wolf and not the man_

_Of wolf and man- Metallica_

Once Tino had calmed further he was finally willing to follow the larger wolf. He was still terrified and still extremely confused but at least he was no longer attempting to bolt much to Berwald's relief. Instead he walked with his head down at the larger werewolf's flank. The swede didn't comment on his attitude and merely let him be as he led them back to the abandoned warehouse they'd originally been holed up in.

At first Tino had been confused as to why they had to travel all that way but he realised why when he caught a glimpse of not only a car that obviously belonged to Berwald but a pile of shredded clothes that he immediately recognised as his own.

_How bad is it? _He asked warily, not sure he wanted to see just how bad the damage to his clothing was. Berwald glanced at curiously, his calculating gaze making the Finn flinch before he realised what Tino was referring to.

_Your jeans should still be usable. They normally come through the change with minimal tearing. The rest…_

Tino groaned, the last thing he needed was for him to need to spend more money on clothes not to mention having to wander around shirtless in Finland of all places. It was freezing outside!

He so distracted by feeling sorry for himself that he didn't even notice Berwald pausing and squeezing his eyes shut in discomfort until he heard the distinctive sound of cracking and shifting bones.

Silver fur receded as the swede focussed on the change, panting slightly as his entire body had to shift itself back to its original shape. It took nowhere near as long as it had taken Tino to change earlier and within a minute he was kneeling, naked, on the floor as he tried to catch his breath.

Tino immediately looked away, knowing that had he been human his face would have been scarlet. Berwald seemed unconcerned, or just used to it, as he stood and gathered his clothes from where they were scattered across the floor to get dressed. He'd obviously thrown them off carelessly before chasing after the Finn since, although they were dusty and creased; they were all in one piece.

The tall blonde glanced at the embarrassed wolf once he'd placed his glasses back on his face. His lip twitched slightly in what might have been a smile at the way Tino seemed ready to sink into the floor.

"J'st foc's on wh't ya w'nt." He said slowly. He sighed when Tino met his gaze again and cocked his head and repeated himself as slowly as possible. It took a few more tries but eventually the Finn gave a hesitant nod and closed his eyes.

His jaws immediately parted as he gave a pained whine. His body kept trying to revert back to a lupine form at the same time as it tried to return to its human one meaning that it took him almost five minutes before he was able to lie on the ground in a shivering and panting, but human, form.

The air felt nice on his too warm skin though so for once he didn't mind the cold. He flinched though when he felt something being placed over his shoulders, glancing up to meet Berwald's gaze as the large swede placed a jacket over his shoulders and gave him the remnants of his clothes. Tino immediately blushed when he saw the other's blue eyes on him, turning to his clothes as he tried to distract himself.

He bit his lip when he saw the damage to the garments. Berwald had been right about his jeans which only had minor tearing at the knees and waist but were still wearable but everything else, his shirt, jacket and even his boxers were shredded beyond recognition. He did the best he could though, using part of his torn shirt as a make shift belt to keep his pants on before accepting Berwald's jacket.

He still struggled to meet Berwald's gaze though, his cheeks stained pink at just how roughed up he looked. Every time he did manage to look the swede in the eye his face would immediately flare up again since the other's ice blue stare was always on him.

"Um… could you… stop staring at me…?" Tino asked nervously after yet another blushing episode.

"Why? 'm I m'king ya 'ncomf'rtable?"

"J-just a bit…" the Finn admitted, noticing how despite his words Berwald still didn't drop his gaze.

"s'rry." The swede mumbled, still staring at him. "'re ya ready t' go?"

Tino nodded, frowning slightly as he shivered under the other's gaze. "Your accent isn't so strong anymore…" he murmured in an attempt to disguise how scared he was. Berwald's eyes were so serious that it was almost like being constantly glared at. The fact that the swede didn't smile didn't help.

"ja, I kn'w." the other stated, heading for his car. Tino followed nervously, grateful that the tall blonde was no longer staring/glaring at him. He hesitated before getting in the car, every rule he'd ever heard about getting in the car with strangers running through his mind.

He guessed that being bitten by a werewolf was the exception to the rule… besides, how far could they be going anyway?

.o.)O(.o.

Apparently very far. Tino refrained from asking questions at first as he tried to shrink in the seat and make himself as small as possible but as Turku eventually disappeared behind them with no sign of Berwald slowing he started to grow more than a little anxious.

Sure, the swede had been nothing but nice (if not a little scary) with the exception of biting him but how did Tino know that he wasn't going to be killed and dumped on the side of the road?

It still took him another hour to work up the courage to actually question Berwald though.

"Um… where are we going?" he squeaked, shrinking impossibly further when Berwald looked away from the road to look at him.

"Hels'nki."

Tino paled. Helsinki? They were going to Helsinki? It was so far away! He felt a rush of home sickness immediately.

He should have been at home, back in Turku but instead he was being kidnapped (willingly or not) and being taken to another city far away from home. Not to mention the whole werewolf thing. He wasn't sure just when his life had gotten so weird or why for that matter.

"Why? Why Helsinki?" he heard himself ask, still trying to sort through his thoughts and emotions.

"Th' pack's th're for th' mom'nt." Berwald explained.

"If the… pack… is in Helsinki then why were you in Turku?"

"Ya don't eat wh're ya sleep."

Tino blinked for a moment as the words sank in before he went even paler and his eyes widened.

"You- you were… going to EAT me?!" he squeaked, flinching away in fear and horror.

Berwald's gaze didn't falter but Tino caught a flash of what might have been remorse in his eyes. "…ja. But I real'sed at th' l'st mom'nt that I cou'dn't…"

"Oh?! And why was that?!" the Finn asked, slightly hysterical at this point. He felt it was understandable considering that he was riding shotgun with a man who had admitted to wanting to turn him into supper.

"'cause th' min'te I bit ya I real'sed what ya w're and I cou'dn't hurt ya if I w'nted t'."

"I am this close to jumping out the car, get to the point!"

"Y're my m'te Tino. My soulm'te…"

Tino's eyes went wide immediately as his mouth opened and closed soundlessly. After all, what can you say to that? And didn't he get a say in the matter? Something told him he was in for a very awkward car ride…

**A/N2: ah Tino, your life is getting so complicated it's not funny! More will be revealed in the next chapter!**

**And thanks for all the reviews! I don't think I've written this much in a while! And sorry for filling up everyone's inboxes with updates for those with me on author alert. Lots of reviews (23 in the past 24 hours *squee*) = lots of updates= me forgetting lunch…**

**Review replies!**

**Toolazytologin: glad you're enjoying it! Hopefully I can keep it up! Thanks for the review!**

**Keiron: *waves spastically* nice to see you again! Glad you like it and thanks for the review!**

**Shades: sufin is awesome, first time I'm writing it so I'm glad you like it! I normally stick to prucan and gerita :) thanks for the review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: so I feel like shit since I've either pulled my femorial muscle (by sitting on a couch…) or it's cramping (and has been since 9am yesterday) so it hurts and coupled with a bit of nausea, heat stroke, my pain killers wearing off and the fact that my burn is itching means I am not a happy meisie…**

**But, story of my life.**

**I apologise for the constant change in Berwald's accent, I'm trying to get it down and I think I finally got it. A bit at least. Until he gets angry/uncomfortable and his accent grows stronger… oh well. Guess I'll just have to read good SuFin stories as practice :D**

**Hetalia isn't mine.**

_In touch with the ground_

_I'm on the hunt I'm after you_

_Scent and a sound, I'm lost and I'm found_

_And I'm hungry like the wolf_

_Strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme_

_I howl and I whine I'm after you_

_Mouth is alive all running inside_

_And I'm hungry like the wolf_

_Hungry like the wolf- Duran Duran_

Tino had been right about how awkward the car ride was going to be. Three hours later they were still sitting in silence as Helsinki came into view. The Finn couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as something other than fields and the occasional town came into view. After all, the city meant an end to the seemingly infinite uncomfortable silence as well as the possibility of grabbing something to eat.

He didn't want to admit it but he was starving. He wasn't even sure of when the last time he'd eaten had been. He could vaguely remember having some food shoved in front of him during the fever that had been his first change but he was sure that it hadn't stayed down. That meant that his last meal had been twenty four to forty eight hours ago.

His stomach growled in protest at the thought making Berwald glance over.

"Ah should ha'e fed ya…" he mumbled apologetically.

Tino immediately paled as he remembered just what the swede had been in town for and shook his head frantically. "n-no, no! It's fine!" he protested. "You don't need to kill anyone for me! Or anything for that matter! I'll just, I don't know… live on air? Joo, I'll live on air! So it's fine, promise!"

Berwald raised an eyebrow slightly, faint confusion in his eyes. "Ah meant McDonalds or somethin'… ah doubt yer w'lf will need ta feed fer another week…"

The Finn blinked, looking even more confused than Berwald was (which in all honesty wasn't that hard to do). "But… what…?" he sighed and shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about…" he admitted.

Berwald blinked before looking back towards the road. "M'tthias will explain." He offered reverting back to driving in silence. He wasn't sure how to explain without freaking the smaller boy out.

Tino was unsure of whether or not he should ask just who Matthias was and eventually decided that silence was probably the better option. If he was going to be told things that would doubtlessly freak him out it was going to be better if it happened where bolting didn't mean throwing himself from a moving vehicle.

.o.)O(.o.

Who Matthias was became apparent when they drew up before a mid-sized manor and a tall blonde immediately came to the door. His hair was windblown and messy and he immediately smiled and waved at the sight of Berwald. His excitement wasn't returned as the Swedish man scowled and glared at him.

"Hey Berwald! Good hunting?" he asked with a grin as the scary looking blonde got out the car. His smile faltered slightly before growing even cockier as he caught sight of Tino who followed and tried to look as small as possible. "Awesome, you brought left overs!"

The Finn immediately cringed as Berwald's glare intensified. "This 's Tino, M'tthias. My w'fe." He growled.

Tino blinked, forgetting his fear of the pair for a moment at the words. "Wife? I'm not your wife!" he blushed.

Matthias laughed, staring at the scarlet Finn curiously. "Wife eh? Well you know the rules! Alpha gets the first taste!"

Tino was spluttering at this point but Berwald's eyes immediately narrowed. "No."

"Hey! You have no choice in the matter! What I say-" Matthias didn't have time to complete his words seeing as Berwald gave an animalistic snarl and lunged at him. Tino didn't even have time to gasp before the pair disappeared into the house in a ruckus of growls, curses and, surprisingly, laughs.

A smaller man shook his head as he stepped out from the shadows staring after the pair before sighing and turning towards the shocked Finn. "You probably should come in before the neighbours start complaining." He grumbled, standing aside expectantly.

Tino blinked nervously for a moment before obeying and rushing into the house as the door closed behind him. The curses and laughter had stopped in favour of lupine growls but the two remaining humans didn't seem fussed by the literal dog fight going on in what had to be the lounge. The white haired boy sitting on the couch didn't even look up from his book.

The one who'd let him in cursed under his breath but otherwise ignored the two wolves, turning dark blue eyes onto Tino. "Just ignore the idiots. You're Tino right? I'm Lukas and that's Emil. The asshole that Berwald's fighting with is Matthias."

Despite the request to ignore the pair of fighting wolves the Finn couldn't take his eyes off them. Both Berwald and Matthias were snarling furiously as they balanced on their hind legs and clawed and bit at each other. Although the paler wolf that Tino recognised as the Swede was a little larger than Matthias it seemed that the darker wolf had the advantage.

Both were looking a little worse for wear but gave no sign of it. They didn't even react when Matthias managed to sink his teeth into Berwald's ruff and knocked a lamp flying. The smash of glass and porcelain made Lukas look up though and immediately head over to the pair with no apparent concern for his safety. "Would you cut it out!" he snarled.

Tino's warning was interrupted by the Norwegian grabbing hold of Matthias's ear and tugging it. The wolf yelped, letting go of Berwald to back pedal frantically in order to keep the small boy from pulling on the appendage even harder. He didn't snarl or turn on Lukas like the Finn expected, merely looking at him sheepishly.

Even Berwald seemed to back down, shifting back silently to avoid the blonde's wrath. "What have I said about teasing Berwald? What the hell do I have to do to get you to listen huh? You damn idiot…" Lukas growled before finally releasing Matthias's ear when the wolf started to shift back.

"Aw, but Norge! You know you love me…" he smiled, rubbing at his slightly reddened ear.

Lukas just scowled, giving him a smack to the back of the head. "Keep it up and I'll kick you to the couch tonight, alpha or not. Now get dressed, apologise to Tino and clean up your damn mess." His eyes narrowed as he glared at Berwald as well. "That goes for you as well Berwald."

The pair nodded, Matthias doing so with a sheepish smile before heading off to obey. Tino took a moment or two to recover as they vanished before turning to Lukas nervously.

"Matthias didn't mean what he said did he? Cause I really don't want to be, well shared or anything… in fact I don't want anything like that! So please tell me he was lying! And what did Berwald mean by wife? I'm not his wife! I just met him!" he spluttered, his discomfort visible to everyone.

Emil raised an eyebrow at the amount of words coming from the Finn's mouth. "You talk a lot…" he murmured stoically, marking his spot as he put his book to the side. Lukas nodded in agreement, appearing slightly bored now that he wasn't telling Matthias off.

"You can relax; the dumbass was just trying to piss Berwald off."

Tino immediately breathed a sigh of relief before flinching as Matthias came back into the room, pulling a shirt over his head.

"Not my fault he's fun to get angry, his accent gets so strong it's hilarious to listen to! Sorry about that by the way, name's Matthias." He grinned, holding out a hand for Tino to shake. He ignored the glare cast in his direction as Berwald replaced his glasses and saw him. "And don't worry; Lukas is the only one for me, unless you want a threesome or something?"

The Finn squeaked anxiously, Berwald looking prepared to attack the alpha again had Lukas not rolled his eyes. "I said enough Matthias! Now get this place clean before you give the kid a heart attack or I allow Berwald to kick your stupid ass."

Matthias chuckled, giving Lukas a kiss on the cheek and dodging the retaliating blow in order to pick up the clothing scraps from his and Berwald's change. "Sorry Norge… I'll behave…"

The swede nodded when Lukas's eyes fell on him and immediately got to work picking up the shards from the broken lamp as Tino stared at everything in shock. His stomach growled, making him flush as it attracted everyone's attention.

"You didn't feed your mate?" Emil asked, not even reacting when Tino went even darker in colour.

Berwald sighed. "No, 'e was freakin' out a bit…" he admitted.

Lukas rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath about living with idiots before grabbing Tino's arm. "c'mon, I guess I'll have to feed you then." He grumbled.

The Finn's eyes went wide as he unwillingly followed the insistent Norwegian. "You're not going to feed me raw meat or anything are you?" he squeaked. "I'm not exactly fond of the idea you know, actually I don't like the idea at all! So please don't give me raw meat! Or human, I'll be sick if you feed me human flesh!"

Lukas looked at him curiously, raising an eyebrow. "…okay. Did Berwald hit you too hard or something?" he shook his head to silence Tino when he opened his mouth to reply. "Never mind… we're actually all out of human, is a ham sandwich alright?" he asked sarcastically, not even waiting for the other blonde's response as he started making the sandwich.

"Trust Berwald to bring home the weird, talkative one…" he grumbled as he handed the sandwich over to the Finn.

**A/N2: hope you like the way I wrote the other Nordics, first time writing them and all…**

**Review replies!**

**Toolazytologin: I'd say, believe it or not it's going to get even more interesting! Hopefully it'll remain good! Thanks for the review!**

**Keiron: yay! Glad you think so! I'm trying hard to get their characters right :) thanks for the review!**

**Shades: yep, that he is. Whether he accepts it or not is the question! Oh what is a Finn to do? :) Ja, Prucan is one of my OTPs. Thanks for the review!**

**And now the choice between watching Death Note again or editing my novel…**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: yay! New chapter! Not much to say this time round… but enjoy!**

**Hetalia isn't mine.**

_I'm here waiting on the edge_

_Would I be alright,_

_Showing myself to you?_

_It's always been so hard to do…_

_Stray_

_No regrets cause I got nothing to lose_

_Ever stray_

_So I'm gonna live my life as I choose_

_Until I fall…_

_Stray- wolf's rain_

Once Tino had been fed and the living room was back to a reasonable state, Matthias was finally able to get everyone settled enough to start explaining everything to the Finn. The small blonde was looking exceptionally nervous as he sat beside Berwald, any attempts to move being rendered useless as the swede either followed or glared at him.

Matthias seemed unconcerned by Tino's anxiety and had regained a cocky grin despite Lukas's glares in his direction. "I take it Norge fed you?" he asked. The Finn nodded hesitantly, trying to move so that he wasn't pressed against Berwald's side.

"Joo, he did." He mumbled, flinching when the Swedish man looked at him accusingly until he stopped moving.

"Good! So as you've already guessed I'm Matthias! Alpha of the Nordic werewolf pack… Berwald did tell you what we are right?" he gained a glare in his direction at his question but Berwald remained silent.

"A werewolf. But it's impossible! I can't be a werewolf! I have school to go to!" Tino protested as the Danish man chuckled.

"Not anymore you don't! One of the perks of turning into a wolf every so often along with the whole immortality and awesome senses gig." He grinned.

The Finn groaned. "How did this even happen…?"

"Well, when a wolf is hungry they do something called hunting." Matthias winced as Lukas elbowed him to shut him up.

"To prevent this idiot from confusing you I'll simplify. In short, Berwald was drawn to you by the whole mate bond but because he's Berwald he mistook it for hunger and ended up biting you before he realised that it wasn't the fact that you looked and smelt edible that drew him to you." the Norwegian explained.

"M-mate bond?" Tino blinked.

"ja, yer my soulm'te. Werew'lves can sense their m'te and yer mine." Berwald interjected.

"Mate as in lover?"

"Yep, lover, mate, partner for sexy fun times! Take your pick!" Matthias grinned earning himself another elbow to the gut. It didn't shut him up this time, merely causing him to wrap his arms around his abuser. "Norge is mine!"

Lukas rolled his eyes but submitted to the gesture. "I had to say it but the idiot is right…"

"So… fate says that Berwald and I will… become lovers?" Tino asked slowly, groaning when everyone nodded. "But what if I don't want to?!" he tried to ignore Berwald's slightly hurt look.

"You will, once you get the hang of being a werewolf you won't be able to deny it." Emil explained when Lukas chose to rather try and shove his mate off rather than answer.

"What's there to get hang of? I turn into a wolf and I turn back don't I?" Tino asked to try and distract himself from both his answer and the Swedish man's still hurt expression.

"Yep, but there's more to it than that. It hurts like a bitch the first few times after all, at least until you stop fighting it. Not to mention there's also the whole full moon and silver thing. And hunting, can't forget that!"

"Your wolf form will require sustenance as well. Normally you can go for around a week or so without hunting but you will need some sort of raw meat to remain healthy." Lukas interrupted when Tino just seemed even more confused.

"Raw meat… does it have to be human?" the Norwegian frowned, glaring at Berwald.

"What the hell have you been telling this kid? This is the second time he's asked about eating people!" he accused. Berwald just shrugged in answer making him sigh. "Okay, first thing's first. You don't have to eat people! Any large animal will do but unfortunately they're a bit scarce down here unless you go for livestock which I don't suggest. Farmers tend to get a bit antsy about their cattle or horses becoming wolf food and I refuse to sew up any more bullet wounds."

The Finn's eyes went wide. "Bullet… wounds…?"

Matthias nodded, looking far too cheerful for this sort of topic. "Yep, buckshot hurts like a bitch! I think I've had to have eleven wounds stitched up this year alone."

"Twelve, you're forgetting Boras." Lukas corrected.

"Right, the head shot right? Always forget that one…"

By this point Tino was more than a little freaked out. After all, mentions of headshots and eleven, no twelve different gunshot wounds would make most people a bit uncomfortable.

"Wow, twelve times? Haha…ha… that's a lot… how are you not dead? Or resembling a sieve?" he asked, covering his discomfort as best as he could with menial conversation.

"We heal quickly provided we're not shot with silver. Even the headshot only kept me down for a few days." Matthias stated cheerfully.

"Yeah, with only minor permanent brain damage…" Lukas grumbled under his breath.

"No, he's alw'ys been mad…" Berwald corrected.

"Point is, getting shot, although a literal pain in the ass, isn't actually too bad." Matthias said with a slight pout at his mate. "A silver bullet to the head or heart is pretty much the only mundane thing that can kill you. In fact, just avoid silver all together, much safer that way!"

"And other wolves. We have some nasty neighbours…" Emil added stoically as the others nodded.

"ja, 'specially th' packs ta th' south 'nd east." Berwald warned.

"Yeah, the eastern Europe pack is one of the largest we've ever seen… and Ivan's just batshit insane. So don't go further south than Copenhagen or further East Kirkenes."

"Ivan?"

"Leader of the Eurasian pack, huge bastard and crazier than Matthias with a nasty temper. We only recently managed to win Kirkenes back…" Lukas explained, continuing before Tino could interrupt again. "The Eastern Europe pack is led by Ludwig and he's very good at making alliances as well as fighting. He's got the entire Mediterranean pack under his belt along with his own. He also currently has ownership of a good part of southern Denmark."

"There are also packs to the west as well, but they're not worth worrying about. Invade the UK to your hearts pleasure! Arthur won't notice since he'll be too busy fighting with his pack mates." Matthias grinned.

"He's that distracted?"

"The north American alpha passed through his entire territory and back without him noticing. He only has the land he does because he and the Mediterranean pack's beta used to have a thing when they were still in the same pack back in the dark ages." Lukas explained.

Tino blinked, it was the second time he'd heard the whole immortality thing but it was only just sinking in. "just how old is Arthur?"

"Old enough to have been born amongst the Celts." Matthias explained after thinking for a moment. "He's not the oldest of wolves, not by a long shot. I've been around long enough to sail with Vikings after all!"

"ja, it's wh're ah met him, he trie' ta set my sh'p alight 'fore he bit me…"

"I was drunk! Not my fault!"

Lukas rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't think he had several centuries under his belt… I'm nowhere near as old as him but you'd never think so!" he grumbled.

"How old are you?" Tino asked curiously.

"I was born in fifteen thirty four; Emil was born just before the First World War." He offered as Matthias finally stopped arguing with Berwald.

Tino nodded nervously, taking a breath to calm himself. "Okay, immortality, nasty neighbours, bullet wounds… what else can go wrong?" he mumbled to himself.

"Well there is the whole full moon thing but that can wait. We need to sort out a room for you and stuff." Matthias explained. "You okay with rooming with Berwald? And I'm sure Norge can lend you some clothes."

Tino's small intake of breath showed quite clearly that he was far from okay with the idea of sharing a room with the large swede. His protests were also rather swiftly ignored in favour of dragging him up to the room seeing as it had been a rather long day for him and they were sure he wanted some alone time with his mate.

The Finn was immediately shaking as he was shoved into a room with the larger man, unable to pay attention to the large bed and other furnishings. Why did he have to share a room (and apparently a bed) with Berwald when it was rather obvious that the smaller blonde was terrified of him?

It only grew worse when the Swedish man started to strip in favour of changing into a pair of loose pants. Tino hadn't really considered the fact that he hadn't been the only one forced to stay awake for a ridiculous amount of hours, Berwald may not have shown his exhaustion but it was still there.

He flinched, giving a small squeak when the man turned towards him and passed a pair of shorts to him. "they migh' be a bit b'g fer ya… L'kas will give ya somethin' better t'morrow." he mumbled as the Finn blushed and accepted them. It didn't help his anxiety or embarrassment that the swede didn't turn around as he got changed, choosing instead to stare at him.

Wherever fate was, Tino was sure that she was laughing at his situation.

**A/N2: poor Tino, just his luck :)**

**Review replies:**

**Shades: can't really blame him, after all hearing that he was meant to be the supper didn't exactly help his imagination :) and nope, berwald and Matthias really don't enjoy getting along. But at least their relationship is better than Arthur's and his pack! Thanks for the review!**

**Keiron: thanks for the advice :) and ja Norway was fun to write, so's Tino as well! And Denmark :) thanks for the review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: wow, these are coming out so quickly that it's not funny! Time to ruin Tino's morning *smirk***

**Hetalia isn't mine!**

_A domesticated girl, that's all you ask of me_

_Darling it is no joke, this is lycanthropy_

_The moon's awake now with eyes wide open_

_My body's craving, so feed the hungry_

_She wolf- Shakira_

.o.)O(.o.

_Rough hands were tracing his skin, callouses tickling his flesh but making him lean into the touches. A hot tongue teased the sensitive skin of his throat before sharp teeth bit down hard enough to draw blood. His head tilted back to expose more of his neck as the other lapped at the ruby beads of blood that welled up._

_He could feel defined abs pressed against his stomach before they pulled away to allow the same roughened hands to stroke and tease his hard shaft. He moaned, shivering slightly as a name was pulled from his lips at the sensation. "B-Berwald…"_

Tino woke with a start, his dream still clearly imprinted on his retinas. And elsewhere on his body he realised with a groan. He immediately gained a pink tinge to his cheeks as noticed his rather bad case of morning wood and his predicament of being held tightly against the larger blonde's chest.

This couldn't be happening, he thought with a blush as he tried to squirm free from Berwald's embrace. The swede had caught him shivering during the night and none of the smaller boy's protests had dissuaded him from hugging him close. Sure he had been a lot warmer after that but he was still rather uncomfortable with the close proximity of the other. Especially now that he had this… problem.

It took some work but he eventually managed to free himself without waking the Swedish werewolf. Though it was a close call, the other mumbling sleepily before settling, making Tino give a relieved sigh. The last he wanted was to be caught sporting an erection when he was insisting that he didn't return feelings for Berwald.

He couldn't believe that after all of his insistence his subconscious had come up with… well, that!

He was still blushing when he managed to sneak into the bathroom without being caught; turning the shower on as cold as possible before jumping in. he hissed when the freezing water hit his skin and made him flinch but breathed a sigh of relief as his problem steadily faded.

He only turned the heat on after a few moments, immediately relaxing tensed muscles as they warmed up. The shower was so normal that he was able to forget for a moment the past events that had occurred over such a small amount of time.

Until, as per his recent display of bad luck, it was interrupted by a few short knocks and the door being opened with absolutely no regard for his privacy.

Lukas just rolled his eyes at the Finn's yelp and rush to cover himself, dumping a change of clothes on the counter. "Tino, you don't have anything I don't have. I just thought you could use a change of clothes so relax."

The Norwegian seemed completely unconcerned by Tino's state of dress but that certainly didn't make the exposed blonde feel any better. The blatant disregard for nudity was disconcerting to say the least. "But I'm showering! I'm naked!" he protested.

"So? I've seen practically everyone in this house naked at some point. Get used to it."

.o.)O(.o.

Tino learnt the truth of this statement as he sat down with a bowl of cereal and Matthias came down the stairs sans clothes in order to ask Lukas if the Norwegian knew where his pants were. Even after being told where said garment was he decided on breakfast before retrieving them. No-one even batted an eyelid at the nude Dane and just went along with their business.

The Finn kept his eyes on his cereal as he blushed and did his best to ignore Matthias as he made himself some toast. He couldn't help but feel relieved that everyone else was at least mainly clothed, though Berwald had yet to don a shirt.

He uttered a quick prayer of thanks when Matthias finished his meal and ran back to his room to get dressed. He'd seen enough of the Dane to last a life time. Lukas however broke from his 'I don't care' attitude to cast a glance at the retreating blonde without being caught.

.o.)O(.o.

His hopes to be left to his own devices went unnoticed however as Emil grabbed him the minute he was finished with breakfast and dragged him up to the wall, grabbing a camera as he did so. "Stand still. We need to get photos for some new documents for you." he explained, taking several steps back to snap the photos.

"New documents?" Tino blinked, trying to make his face somewhat less scared/awkward.

"Yeah, drivers licence, birth certificate, passport. Those things."

"But I have all those, well not the drivers yet but everything else."

"Yes, but you'll need new ones to ensure that no-one tracks you down. It won't end well if they do…" Emil explained. "We have a contact in the Eurasian pack who handles all documentation in exchange for land and free passage for himself through the territory. It's the main reason why Ivan holds Svalbard not to mention small patches from the other packs, Eduard's that good. He does all our documents."

Tino immediately glanced aside. He hated the idea that he would never return to his old life. "I can't go home can I?" he mumbled.

Emil glanced at him, his purple eyes slightly sympathetic. "No, sorry."

.o.)O(.o.

"Focus Tino, you'll never master changing shape if you keep on getting distracted." Matthias ordered eyes on where the Finn was trembling from his latest change. The Dane was far more serious now than he'd appeared before.

"But it hurts!" Tino snapped, he was so weary and worn out that he couldn't even be polite and cheerful.

"The longer it takes to change the longer it'll hurt. Now go through it again, focus and call on the wolf. Stop fighting it so much."

The smaller blonde pouted slightly before closing his eyes and taking a breath to steady him. It had taken a few attempts but he could now feel the wolf within him well enough to call to it. Allowing the change to happen however was another thing entirely.

He winced, biting his lip as his skin tightened over shifting bones. It took less than half the time of his first change but was still nowhere near as fast as the others. He was panting as he stood up and glared at the Dane.

Matthias didn't respond to the challenge, merely nodding. "Much better, still could use some practice but it'll do. Now how about you change back and we can get some lunch?"

Tino breathed a sigh of relief, changing back within half a minute at the thought of food. The constant shifting ate up so much energy that it wasn't funny.

The Dane snickered at the speed of the shift. "So you'll change quickly for a Scooby snack huh?" he teased as the Finn blushed.

"Stop teasing him and get your ass done here! The food will get cold." Lukas's voice drifted up into the room as the Norwegian shouted at them from the dining room. He'd obviously caught the Dane's comment even from so far away but Matthias just rolled his eyes.

.o.)O(.o.

Lunch turned out to be a lot more than just the simple sandwich of the previous evening. An entire roast had been set out along with the typical accompaniments of vegetables and potatoes. Lukas and Emil were already grabbing slices of meat as Berwald set a pitcher of gravy on the table.

"Looks awesome Berwald!" Matthias grinned, collapsing into a chair and stealing some of the food from Lukas's plate. He ignored the quiet growl the smaller boy gave him.

Tino blinked as he sat down and waited for a chance to grab some food of his own. It just felt natural that he should wait and he made a point to ask someone at a later stage. "You can cook?" he asked hesitantly, grabbing some meat once Emil was done.

Berwald raised an eyebrow. "ja, why?" he asked, reaching out to fill his plate. His hand brushed against the Finn's before the smaller boy could answer.

Tino flinched at the touch, trying to deny the spark that seemed to flow between them despite wanting nothing more. "No reason! Hahaha… It looks good though! Really good! I'm just going to stop talking and eat now okay?" he laughed nervously, immediately looking back at his food and ignoring the raised eyebrows cast in his direction. Yeah, so much for no returned feelings…

.o.)O(.o.

He didn't like him. In fact he was terrified of him! On top of that Berwald was the one responsible for him being unable to go home due to a little disorder called lycanthropy. Tino insisted to himself as he stared blankly at the TV in front of him.

He'd been working to convince himself for at least half an hour now. Matthias and Lukas had gone to the store to stock up on supplies; Emil was currently on the computer possibly emailing Eduard the photos and details from earlier. He had no idea where Berwald was (nor did he care, he told himself).

After all, how could he fall in love with someone he didn't even know?

No, he was just intimidated. That heat in his stomach at the swede's touch was fear. And as for that dream, well it wouldn't be the first time his imagination got the better of him.

No, it wasn't love. It wasn't infatuation. It wasn't a mate-bond. It was just him coming to assumptions because of what everyone else said to him.

If that was the case though, then why did his heart disagree?

**A/N2: I love writing Tino! And Lukas as well! They're both funny as hell but for different reasons :) and do you have any idea how many werewolf/wolf/canine/ monster songs there are? I've got FIFTEEN on my laptop alone that I know of, probably more if I searched (I've got 7000 songs on my laptop, most of which I've never listened to)! It makes song choices far easier.**

**And onto the review replies!**

**Shades: yep that they are :) and they'll come into the story soon enough along with Antonio and Lovino. How soon? You'll have to see :D thanks for the review!**

**Keiron: hope you're feeling better! Norway is funny, he's a riot to write and this chapter made me love him even more! Thanks for the review!**

**Major: yay! New fan! Glad it's a bit different :) it's what every writer wants after all :D thanks for the review and I hope you continue enjoying it!**

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: what's this? Another update? So soon?**

**Blame "OhMyLeppy" who, to quote, said: "we the fans demand a tribute in the form of an update! You have no choice!"**

**Hope you enjoy the tribute!**

_For the animal's soul is mine_

_And the world around will never hear your cries_

_An unholy crime_

_And now we both shall dine in hell this time_

_The animal- Disturbed_

_.o.)O(.o._

_TEENAGER MISSING IN TURKU_

_Seventeen-year-old Tino Vainamoinen went missing three nights ago after attending an evening class in his home town of Turku. The Finnish teen was last seen at his high school before he failed to return home after class ended. Police investigations have failed to turn up any evidence of foul play but has yet to be ruled out. Tino is five foot four, blonde with violet eyes and was last seen in a pair of jeans and a light blue shirt. His mother begs that the one who took her son please return him unharmed. A reward is being offered for any information that will lead to his safe return. Please phone…_

Tino couldn't continue reading, his hands shaking badly enough that the paper in his grip was threatening to tear. His family was worried about him. He'd known that that would be the case but the stark proof of it in the newspaper that Lukas had grabbed along with the groceries was painful.

"Tino, wh't's wrong?" a mumbled voice asked, gently easing the newspaper away when the Finn didn't answer. Tino didn't remember when Berwald had returned but he was unable to respond. He was hyperventilating as words sprung out at him from the text. "Tino, breathe."

He vaguely registered other voices echoing the swede's concern.

"They're worried about me…" he forced out, still shaking badly. He felt a light touch on his back as his face was turned to meet Berwald's.

"Tino, ya can' think about tha'… ya can' go back… no' like this." He insisted, eyes boring into Tino's.

"I thought your eyes were blue… they're actually more a blue green, like the ocean." The Finn mumbled.

Berwald blinked, frowning slightly as he tried to make sense of the smaller blonde. "…Tino?"

The Finn gave a slightly hysterical laugh. "Your eyes, I thought they were blue. The first time I met you I was sure they were blue. Guess I was wrong huh?"

Lukas sighed, grabbing the paper from where it had been abandoned and fending off Matthias who tried to grab the comics section. "Great, you broke him…"

The Norwegian's words seemed to reach Tino's rather hysterical mind. "I'm not broken… I just want to go home…" he laughed before breaking into sobs that startled the Swedish man holding him further.

Matthias raised an eyebrow at Berwald's beseeching look for advice on what to do, pausing in his attempt to read over Lukas's shoulder. "It's your mate." He grinned.

The swede sighed as he glared at the Dane, scooping the Finn up who didn't fight his attempt but continued staining his shirt with salty tears. He carried him through to his bedroom before setting him on the bed and brushing the tears away. "'T's 'kay Tino…" he mumbled awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

"I just want to go home! I don't want this!" he shouted, voice racked with sobs.

Berwald's reply was interrupted by a knock on the door as Lukas came in. "Berwald, you're useless at this. Out." He ordered.

The swede hesitated for a moment until the Norwegian raised an eyebrow and he sighed, moving past the shorter male with a last look at Tino.

"You can't make me feel better, you can't fix this…" the Finn mumbled.

"Maybe not, but I can help you to forget."

Tino frowned, glancing up at the stoic features of the other as he sniffled. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"Simple, Emil and I are going for a run and you are going to join us."

"But I hate running!" the Finn complained. Lukas smirked in response.

"Not this kind, now get a move on."

.o.)O(.o.

The kind of run Lukas meant became obvious when the Norwegian stopped the car in a secluded spot just outside of city limits. Emil needed no instructions as he jumped out of the car and started shedding his clothes without comment. Lukas didn't react to the other's nudity as he did the same, setting aside his golden cross hair pin reverently before glancing at the frozen Tino.

"Are you going to change or what?" he asked, making the Finn blush as he averted his gaze.

"Do I have to?"

Emil growled in affirmative, already through with his change as he shook out his white coat. Only a few streaks of pale grey marred the pale colouration.

"I think Emil just answered that question. Now get a move on." Lukas insisted, making no moves to change shape until Tino started to strip.

Both wolves watched impatiently as the Finn sighed and went through the shift. Lukas was far darker in colouration than Emil, his fur an ash grey and brown beside the Icelandic wolf's virgin snow.

The Norwegian's tail waved lightly when Tino's lupine gaze turned to him, the ash grey wolf bounding forward to touch his nose to the Finn's with a low bark. Emil's jaws were parted in a playful pant as he also darted forward and jostled the darker wolves before turning tail and bolting.

Neither of the pair seemed as stoic as they typically did Tino realised as he instinctively gave chase, heart pounding as he tried to overtake Lukas. In fact they were exceptionally playful, taking out all the energy they had on one another.

_You try dealing with Matthias for any period of time; someone needs to be the adult! _Lukas protested, bowling Emil over with his paw before jumping on him with a whine.

_He has Berwald to cope with, that has to cope for something. _Emil argued, squirming free of the Norwegian's pin in order to charge Tino who was knocked flying with a yelp.

Lukas immediately came running, switching sides as he joined the pale wolf in pinning the Finn to the ground. _No fair! _Tino protested, tail curling under his belly as he was rolled over and prevented from getting up.

Emil just rolled his eyes in response. _Life's not fair. _

_At least you're no longer the omega Emil._ Lukas grinned, panting slightly from the romp as he got off of the paler grey wolf.

…_so I'm the omega? Why me?! _Tino protested, fur fluffing up as he got to his feet again.

_Because you instinctively submit and are less experienced. _Lukas explained, starting to trot further into the countryside. The other two followed after a moment, slowly stretching their limbs out until they were going at a steady lope.

Tino grumbled slightly, nipping Lukas's flank before pinning his ears back when the Norwegian snarled at him. Emil gave a bark that was obviously laughter until both fell silent. The Finn's ear's twitched in an attempt to locate the reason for their sudden unease before he froze.

Blood flowing beneath a thin skin. Body heat. A rapidly beating heart. His nose twitched, drinking in the aroma before he lunged forward, overtaking both Emil and Lukas before they could stop him.

_Damn it! Tino! Stop!_ Lukas cursed, giving chase to the rapidly disappearing Finn.

_Snap out of it! _Emil snarled, running at the Norwegian's shoulder. His violet eyes were fixed on the vanishing silver and cinnamon rump ahead.

Tino didn't respond, unable to make sense of the words in his head as he ran close to the ground towards the alluring scent. His ears were pricked forwards as he focused on its source. He leapt free of the undergrowth, his body barrelling into his prey as his teeth found the thin skin of the jogger's throat.

Lukas and Emil glanced at one another when they heard the scream and the silence that followed it being cut off. They flinched as they heard Tino howl, the cry cutting through the air. The iron tang of blood teased their senses as they fought the blood lust that tempted them. They approached hesitantly, gazing ahead warily.

Tino snarled when they approached, his fangs and jaws reddened as he crouched defensively over his kill. His lavender eyes were glazed and animalistic as they narrowed at the intruders.

Both wolves answered the snarl challengingly._ Distract him. We need him to snap out of it, _Lukas ordered, tail rising as he stalked forward.

Emil nodded, charging forward with a savage bark. Tino snapped in response, darting forward with bared jaws.

The clash of the two wolves meeting was audible as the Icelandic wolf bit the other's ruff to keep him at bay. Tino yelped twisting as he tried to bring his fangs within biting range of the pale wolf's throat. He sunk them in wherever he could reach, clawing at Emil's chest to try and free himself.

His yelp was cut short as Lukas bowled into him, using his body weight to hold the Finn down. Emil was growling as he kept his hold on the loose skin of Tino's neck. The other wolf was soon whining, ears pinned to his skull as he cowered.

The first thing to come to Tino was pain, the sensation breaking through the haze of bloodlust.

The next was the metallic taste of blood. His eyes widened as he started struggling. He twisted beneath the stronger wolves, catching a glimpse of the torn gullet and partially eaten human he'd taken down.

_No… no… no…_ he was retching now, the memory of hot flesh disappearing down his throat too much to take. He wasn't sure of when his mental denials turned into human moans or when Emil's teeth released him. He didn't even know when fur and growls had turned to comforting hands on his sticky and bloody skin.

The only thing he could think of as he gagged was how he'd just taken a human life. A human life that had been cut down by his own fangs before he'd attempted to devour the evidence like a common animal.

And he'd enjoyed it.

**A/N2: I just want to hug him… *ignores fact that she's to blame***

**Huh, no reviews to reply to! Might try to draw out a sketch of each character's wolf at some point…**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: went for a long hike today (10kms, or five there and five back) so I'm feeling pretty relaxed. Enjoy the part from Lukas's POV and my own head cannon for him! I know quite a few of you enjoy his character. And you find out which pack Antonio and Lovino are in in this chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

_Well I think I'm gonna burn in hell_

_Everybody burn the house right down_

_And say, hey_

_What I want to say_

_Tell me I'm an angel_

_Take this to my grave_

_Tell me I'm a bad man_

_Kick me like a stray_

_House of Wolves- my chemical romance_

Lukas sighed as he looked over at the shaking Finn before allowing his gaze to run over to the cooling body. The sight barely affected him, he'd seen enough dead bodies in his life time that, human or animal, they were meaningless to him.

"Come on, we need to get out of here… you take Tino and I'll sort this out. Wait for me at the car." He murmured to Emil who was doing his best to soothe the retching blonde. He nodded his pale head in answer, standing and pulling Tino with him.

Lukas watched them leave emotionlessly before turning back towards the corpse. He was thinking rapidly, remembering the layout of the local land as he tried to consider a place to stow it. The ground was too hard to even contemplate burying it but he couldn't leave it on a path like it was.

He glanced around warily before shifting back to a lupine form. The last thing he wanted to worry about was leaving fingerprints in case the body was found.

Once shifted he sunk his teeth into a cold shoulder, growling softly as he fought the urge to dig into a free meal as he started dragging the evidence further into the trees. It was slow going, the weight of the dead body taxing, he was panting by the time he dragged it to a small rocky out crop.

It was far enough from the trail to be inconspicuous but he was still anxious, going so far as hiding it from view beneath one of the boulders. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the bloody trail being covered up by fresh snow. The body was one thing to hide but a trail like that was another.

He was tempted to take a bite or two of the fresh kill but forced himself to ignore the urge. He didn't want to leave Tino and Emil for too long even if he loathed letting good meat go to waste. His human side may not have appreciated the idea of devouring the readily available meal due to its human origins but his wolf side encouraged the action.

He was thankful that there was no evidence of human involvement, only lupine. Such things tended to be forgotten far faster than a physical murder. They'd have to move on though, the body would eventually be found and when it was there would be hunters in these woods.

Lukas knew that he came off as distant he considered as he moved at a steady lope back towards the car. It wasn't that he didn't care; it was that he didn't like making himself vulnerable by displaying his emotions. Every time one of the others had come back wounded from a hunting trip or tussle with another wolf, although he'd scoffed and insulted them heavily, it had been him to patch them up.

He'd even shed a tear or two (though he'd never admit it) when Matthias had returned with blood gushing from his cranium earlier that year. The Dane hadn't woken for two days and although he knew that he would heal eventually there had been a part of him that had been terrified that he wouldn't.

He would claim that they should move on because he didn't want to patch up anymore wounds but in truth it was because he couldn't stand the idea of seeing his mate and pack mates hurt again.

.o.)O(.o.

"Here, you can get some of the blood off." Emil offered, wetting his shirt with some water that they always kept in the car and handing it to Tino. The Finn's eyes were wide but he was no longer gagging or shaking so badly. He accepted the shirt after a moment's hesitation, unintentionally destroying it as he tried to get the drying blood off of his face and hands.

The Icelandic boy nodded, watching him for a moment before slipping his pants on. It was cold outside but it didn't really bother him too much. "You should get dressed as well, Lukas will be back soon." He murmured once Tino had removed most of the blood bar a few maroon streaks.

"Will I get in trouble?" Tino asked softly, obediently setting aside the rag to grab his clothes.

"Course not. It happens. The wolf saw running prey and you just obeyed your instincts."

"But you and Lukas didn't."

"Lukas and I have both fed recently. You on the other hand haven't. You also haven't had a lot of time to get used to controlling such urges." Emil argued, head turning slightly when he caught movement out the corner of his eye.

Lukas gave a soft huff of acknowledgement before moving towards the car to change back. He also had blood staining the fur around his jaws but not to the same extent as Tino. When he was back on two legs he grabbed the abandoned rag to clean his face.

"Are you alright Tino?" he asked softly once he was dressed.

Tino just blinked nervously, glancing at him hesitantly. Lukas sighed, sharing a meaningful glance with Emil before shaking his head. "You will be, the first time is always the hardest." He mused, setting his hair clip back in place carefully as he shoved a particularly stubborn curl behind his ear. "We'll get you home okay?"

.o.)O(.o.

"Back already? What? You miss us or something?" Matthias asked with a grin. His face fell slightly as he caught a glimpse of Tino's dejected face. "What happened? Norge didn't bite you or anything did he?"

Lukas gave off a rather realistic lupine snarl despite his human form. "No you idiot! And you deserved it so don't claim otherwise. We came across a jogger on our run…"

Berwald immediately stood and moved to where Tino was to wrap his arms around him in a hug. The Finn flinched at the contact but didn't fight it. No-one had to question Lukas on what the words meant, they'd all done something along those lines before whether intentional or not.

There was a moment of silence before Lukas turned back to Matthias. "We need to relocate, they'll find the body before long and then everywhere will be crawling with hunters. Knowing you you'll get your stupid ass shot within a week…"

The Dane nodded. "Worried about me are you?" he asked with a smirk.

The Norwegian rolled his eyes. "Hardly, I just don't want any more bloodstains on the carpet." He argued. "Berwald, you take Tino and try to calm him. I think he's still in shock."

Berwald nodded, gently steering Tino away towards their room as the other's continued their conversation.

Matthias chuckled, "Sure Norge. So where are we headed?" he asked before turning towards Emil. "When will Tino's passport be arriving?"

"Eduard said it should be ready tonight and he'll come drop it off in person within a few days. According to him he has to make a trip to Vienna in order to drop off some documents for the Vargas's." Emil answered shortly.

"So Ludwig's in Vienna at the moment then?" Matthias asked curiously.

"Yeah, Antonio as well to pick up his mate's documents and discuss things. His pack and mate are holding their territory at the moment."

The Danish alpha looked thoughtful but Lukas shook his head. "Don't even think about it Matthias. Austria's still too close to try and win our territory in Denmark back, especially with the Mediterranean alpha there as well. If Antonio wasn't there then maybe we could but not with both of them. If they called for back-up they would destroy us." He argued

Matthias sighed, "I know, I just hate that he has so much of our turf. It's bad enough that Ivan claimed Svalbard as payment for Eduard's services…" he complained.

"I know. But he has to go further south eventually to ensure his borders there remain secure. Sadiq's pack may be smaller than ours but we both know that if he sees a chance to gain territory he'll take it." Emil countered. "Ludwig's spent so much time defending his northern and eastern borders from us and Ivan that his southern ones are undefended. The minute Sadiq makes his move we can make ours."

Matthias frowned, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't I meant to be the alpha? Shouldn't I be making the decisions?"

"Matthias, if you were making all the decisions we'd have died long ago." Lukas insisted. "As proven by the fact that we've yet to discuss where we'll go from here."

.o.)O(.o.

"Tino? Ya alrigh'?" Berwald asked, cutting out the sound of the ensuing arguments downstairs by shutting the door. The Finn was sitting on the bed, looking downcast.

"I killed someone; do you think I'm alright?" Tino asked softly.

"It happ'ns. Ya can't blame yers'lf…"

"Yes I can, I was the one who killed him. Not Lukas, not Emil, not my 'wolf', me." He sighed, lying down so that he was facing away from the swede. "I just want to go to sleep and forget this ever happened…"

Berwald nodded after a moment, getting changed before settling into bed as well. Tino didn't turn around to face him but nor did he flinch when the swede wrapped his arms around him. He was so worn out and emotionally depleted that he didn't care what his opinion of Berwald was, he just wanted to be held and pretend that everything was alright.

"G'dnight Tino…" the large blonde murmured. "Jag älskar dig." He breathed, nuzzling the other's hair.

Tino didn't answer but he didn't pull away either.

**A/N2: yay! Semi-sweet ending! And I got my first uni acceptance a few days ago! Yay! Happy wolf is happy!**

**Jag älskar dig- I love you (Swedish)**

**Lots of review replies this time!**

**Poma: glad you liked it! Hope the little amount of Berwald in this was to your liking :) thanks for the review!**

**Shades: yep, that he is :) and he got that hug from Berwald! So now you know that Antonio leads the Mediterranean pack which is allied with the Eastern Europe pack (mainly due to Ludwig's beta and his mate which you'll see more of later.) though there is history with Arthur's pack :) thanks for the review!**

**Keiron: at least Tino got that hug! Glad you liked it! Thankfully you picked up on missing the chapter (*has gotten confused due to forgetting completely…*) Thanks for both of your reviews!**

**Gore Fan 37: someone after my own mind apparently: D hope you enjoyed the update! Thanks for the review!**

**Major: ja afraid he did. I always have several plot twists up my sleeve so prepare for more *evil grin* you'll have to wait to see! Thanks for the review!**

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: longest chapter yet! And you'll be meeting Eduard, Arthur and Vlad (Romania) in this chapter as well as learning more about Arthur's pack.**

_In the full moon's light I listen to the stream_

_And in between the silence hear you calling me_

_But I don't know where I am_

_And I don't trust who I've been_

_But if I come home how will I ever leave?_

_Full moon- black ghosts_

Tino remained subdued over the next day, barely paying attention to his surroundings. Matthias even gave up when he tried explaining the advantages of scent recognition to the distant Finn when he got no response whatsoever. In the end the others merely left the small blonde alone and allowed him to wallow in his thoughts.

Berwald was the exception to that rule, trailing after Tino even when the others had given up. He didn't speak, merely acting as a comforting presence. Finding one was a sure-fire way of finding the other.

A knock at the door made the swede look up from where he sat on the couch with his mate, both staring at the TV that in all honesty they weren't watching. Berwald frowned slightly as he picked up on the mix of human and wolf scent that marked a werewolf from the surrounding humans.

He moved warily to answer the door, glancing at Tino before opening it. The Finn hadn't moved.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized the wolf standing at the door. He was also blonde with a pair of glasses perched upon his nose but that was where the similarities ended. Berwald nodded, standing aside to let the other in. "e'uard"

Eduard smiled, nodding in return. "Berwald, it's been a while." He offered, the door closing behind him. "So where's this mate of yours?" his eyes ran across to where Tino was sitting before he frowned. "I thought Emil said he was hyperactive?"

"He is, you just came at a bad time." Lukas explained, heading into the lounge to investigate. "I take it you brought the documents?"

Eduard nodding, raising his arm to show a folder he was holding onto. "Passport, licence, birth certificate. The usual. Where's Matthias by the way? And Emil for that matter."

"Emil went into town to investigate a mishap but that's none of your business." Matthias offered, following his mate into the lounge before standing in front of him defensively. Lukas rolled his eyes at the action, elbowing him to get him to behave.

"No need to get defensive Matthias. I just want to drop off the documents and head south."

"If that's the case then why ask where Emil and I are?" Matthias growled. The Estonian wolf sighed in response.

"Matthias, I've been doing your official documents for how long now? When are you going to stop treating me like I'm out to steal your turf? I was asking because I was wondering when you're going to update your own documents. Don't they claim that you're approaching thirty eight now? Emil must also be due for an update." Eduard explained. "Would you prefer I send Feliks to drop off the documents next time? Or is an omega still to threatening for you?"

"It's not a case of being too threatening; I just don't trust any of Ivan's wolves. Plain and simple."

"M'tthias, enough!" Berwald snapped before Lukas could reprimand his mate. "We have no reas'n to distrus' E'uard despi'e his alpha bein' Ivan." He warned.

Lukas nodded. "Exactly, now stop being such an ass. I hate having this conversation every single time Eduard arrives to drop things off."

"He's like this every time?" Tino asked, finally coming out of his self-induced silence to stare at the confrontation about to happen. Matthias was still posed defensively, eyes narrowed distrustfully whilst Eduard looked as unthreatening as possible.

"Sadly yes. The amount of times he's attacked me is countless." The Estonian sighed. "I understand why of course, Ludwig and his beta treat me the same way as does Sadiq and even Arthur to an extent. It's an alpha thing. I take it you're Tino? Berwald's mate?"

The Finn nodded. "Joo, I am but I'm not his mate."

Eduard nodded, glancing back towards Matthias who was still glowering in his direction. "it's nice to meet you, I wouldn't have minded a chance to get to know you but I feel I may have overstayed my welcome…" he held out the folder to the Finn who hesitantly took it and opened it to reveal realistic documents, the only difference being a generic surname and a different year of birth that make him by all accounts legal to drive.

The Estonian nodded in the Danish alpha's direction before ducking his head and leaving the room. Matthias only calmed completely when he heard the sound of a car pulling out of their driveway. He didn't have a chance to relax completely before Lukas turned on him.

"Is that necessary Matthias? We've known Eduard for centuries and you still attempt to run him off! In case you haven't got it through that thick skull of yours we require his services!" he snapped.

Matthias flinched but held the Norwegian's gaze. "It isn't as simple as that Norge. How would you feel if you came across a strange wolf whilst running with Emil? I can't just switch off the urge to protect what's mine."

"Oh, I'm yours now am I? And how is running across a strange wolf in any way similar to inviting a wolf we've known for years into our territory to do us a service? I can look after myself Matthias! We all can!" Lukas snarled.

"B'th of ya calm dow'." Berwald ordered when he saw the way Lukas was beginning to act more wolf than human. Fights between Lukas and Matthias were never as simple as the one's between himself and the alpha. The Dane refused to fight back when the Norwegian snapped, he wouldn't submit but he wouldn't defend himself either which led to Lukas hating himself when he came to his senses.

The Norwegian just snarled in response before turning tail to stalk away to the front door, wrenching it open and pushing past Emil who'd just arrived back home. Matthias sighed, running a hand through his hair.

The Icelandic wolf frowned, staring at the scene in front of him. "What happened?" he asked, disguising his concern with a bored tone.

"Eduard dropped off the documents." Matthias stated simply. The simple explanation didn't need much more added to it; it wasn't the first time an argument had broken out over the topic after.

"Ah, that explains that… but why did I pass Tino taking the car? He doesn't seem like the type to get into a fight and need to cool off…" Emil murmured.

Matthias and Berwald blinked, glancing towards the now vacated spot where Tino had been. Documentation was scattered across the couch, the only thing missing was the driver's licence.

"Where'd he go?" Matthias asked, blinking in confusion. Berwald was frowning before he cursed.

"He wen' h'me…" he murmured, remembering how insistent the Finn had been over the topic.

Emil frowned at that, glancing between Matthias and Berwald. "But the full moon's tomorrow, doesn't he know what will happen?"

"I never got a chance to explain it to him due to yesterday's incident. Damn it… how're we meant to catch up in time to warn him?" Matthias growled, pacing slightly.

"leave a note fer Lukas, we need ta fin' him." Berwald ordered.

Emil shook his head. "We need to find Lukas and get him back here. They found the body and there'll be hunters crawling through the woods where he'll be heading soon enough."

Matthias swore under his breath, glancing at Berwald. "Go after Tino, Emil and I will find Norge." He ordered. "Meet us at our residence in Trondheim as soon as you can. It would be best if we got out of Finland all together."

Berwald nodded, grabbing the set of key for the spare car as Emil and Matthias bolted out the door on Lukas's trail.

.o.)O(.o.

Tino couldn't believe that he'd actually managed to sneak out like he'd done. It had been far easier than he'd expected once Berwald had gotten distracted by Lukas and Matthias's fight. All it had taken was a few seconds to grab his new licence and the car keys and he was out the door.

He felt a slight twinge of guilt for deceiving them like that but his desire to go home had only grown exponentially since the events of the previous night. There was a part of him that was certain that returning home would solve everything.

Sure everyone had treated him well and running as a wolf once you got past the initial pain and the risk of hurting someone was one of the most magical things he'd ever experienced. But it didn't come close to matching his homesickness.

Despite this he couldn't help but feel a small ache in his chest as he turned away from Berwald.

He sighed, pushing the ache out of his mind as he considered the thrill of driving. He'd never held a full licence before although he did know the basic ins and outs of driving even if he did occasionally stall the vehicle by accident.

He did his best to hold onto that thought rather than anything else. He didn't think of Lukas and Matthias's slightly volatile relationship and whether Berwald had kept them from a physical fight. He didn't think of Emil who would doubtlessly be about to return home. And he most certainly didn't think of Berwald and his whispered words the night before.

.o.)O(.o.

"are you sure this will help keep them in check?" the large browed British wolf asked, turning a vial of reddish liquid over in his hands before glancing back towards the man he was conversing with. "Nothing I've tried has done the job yet."

"Of course Arthur, blood magic has always been stronger than that pitiful excuse for magic you favour. Drink that and your pack mates will finally be brought to heel, maybe you'll even be able to regain the territory you lost when the Spaniard and that French wolf abandoned you."

Arthur frowned at the other threateningly. "I'd watch your tongue if I were you Vlad. My magic is hardly pitiful and despite my pack's disorganised structure we will still be more than a match for a vampire if I call them to my aid."

The Romanian smirked, displaying sharp canines. "Is that so? The last time I checked Scottie would gladly see you dead. Not to mention that both the welsh wolf and the Irish wolf you call pack-mates hate your guts. In my opinion they would be more than happy to allow your death. Isn't that why Antonio left? Not to mention Francis? In fact, the only reason you're still alive and why I'm helping you is purely because our clans have never come to blows and co-exist without issues."

The wolf growled under his breath before ducking his head respectfully. "That doesn't explain why you're helping me. Vampires never do anything that doesn't help them in the long run."

"All I ask are for some hunting privileges in your territory. It is too dangerous to continue feeding so close to home and I know for a fact that the other packs will not allow me to extend my range. We have too many vampires within my coven to survive with such a small amount of land." Vlad explained, sheathing his fangs at the submissive gesture. "So do we have a deal?"

Arthur grumbled under his breath for a moment before nodding. "Provided this potion works we do."

The vampire smiled. "Perfect. I'll be seeing you later Arthur, enjoy taming those ill-behaved mongrels of yours."

**A/N2: plot twist? What plot twist? Pretty much the other wolves in Arthur's pack are Ireland, Wales and Scottie (Scotland). They won't feature overly much however seeing as this is in fact a SuFin story. Francis and Antonio were both part of Arthur's pack originally but due to certain circumstances they both left which led to the creation of the Mediterranean pack.**

**Please appreciate this chapter since it is hot as hell and I LOATHE writing in the heat…**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: yep, and then I go ruin it with something like this :) glad you liked the bit from Lukas's POV, he's got an interesting thought process in my opinion, similar to Lovino's but far less naïve. Thanks for the reviews and the congratulations!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: another long chapter, thankfully the heats starting to go down and we're due for a storm this evening :)**

**I'll be posting a sketch of Tino and Berwald's wolves on deviant art as well. My name on there is WolfOfTheBlackRose**

**Enjoy! Like always Hetalia isn't mine.**

_Old gypsy woman spoke to me_

_Said you're a wolf boy get out of this town_

_You're a wolf boy get out of this town_

_You're a wolf boy get out of this town_

_You're a wolf_

_You're a wolf- sea wolf_

The ground steadily disappearing beneath his paws was soothing to Lukas, the steady pounding of his footfalls providing a calming tempo to think to. He knew that he couldn't blame Matthias for reacting the way he did. It was pure instinct after all to defend one's territory and pack from intruders and sometimes human logic just couldn't overcome the raw purity of lupine emotions.

_Hey Norge where are you?_

Lukas gave a surprised yip at the sudden interruption, his footfalls stumbling slightly before regaining their steady rhythm. _Damn it Matthias! I haven't completely forgiven you yet!_

_I know you haven't but we need to head back. You and Matthias can patch things up back at the house. _Emil murmured. The Icelandic wolf was keeping careful track of both Lukas's whereabouts and Matthias's, the pair having split up to cover more ground.

Lukas growled softly before pausing. Ears pricking as his nose twitched. …_They found the body didn't they?_ He asked, soft growls coming from between his fangs as he backed up. He could scent and hear approaching humans as well as the bay of dogs.

Matthias and Emil both picked up on Lukas's change in tone. _Damn it Norge, get out of there! _The Dane ordered. _Meet up with Emil, he's heading towards the lake._

_Don't you dare do anything stupid Matthias! _Lukas hissed, turning tail as he bolted towards where he could sense Emil. The pale wolf was upwind preventing him from using scent to track him and relying purely on his knowledge of the land and the Icelandic werewolf's instructions. _I'm not sewing up any more bullet wounds!_

_Nor am I Norge. Rather me than you. _Lukas didn't have a chance to say anything further, his ears twisting as an unearthly howl sounded somewhere behind him. He could hear human shouts as the dogs were pulled away from his scent to chase down the wolf their handlers could hear.

_Damn it Matthias, you're an idiot!_ Lukas snarled. He wanted nothing more than to turn and run towards his mate.

_Get out of there._ Emil ordered. The Icelandic wolf was close enough that Lukas could scent him despite the wind coming the wrong way. He gave the ground a quick scent before following the trail.

_Will do, meet you at the house._ Matthias promised before turning towards the distant threat. He couldn't smell them yet but with the wind blowing the wrong way there wasn't much he could do. He tilted his head again to give another howl to ensure the hunters would give chase before turning tail to run towards safety.

His muscles flexed beneath thick fur as he ran at a fast lope. His ears would twitch to catch the sounds of the approaching hunters but he didn't care, giving a joyful bark at the adrenaline rush of the chase. He could hear Lukas commenting on how he was crazy but thought nothing of it, too caught up in the hunt.

_We're out, where are you? We're going to change back. _Emil stated.

_Just have to lose the hunters and I'll join you. Heading towards the river to try and shake off the dogs._

_Be careful. Like I said, I don't want to sew up any bullet wounds. _Lukas warned, concern touching his voice.

_Love you too Norge! _Matthias growled slightly as he reached the river, the cold water chilling his bones as he leapt into the body of liquid and started swimming upwind with powerful strokes. Not without complaining about the chill of the water though to Lukas who had yet to change back.

_It's your own fault. Just get back to me in one piece… _the Norwegian warned. Matthias just scoffed at that.

_Shouldn't you be shifting back? Isn't Emil getting his tail in a twist yet?_

_He is, but I've got one thing to do first. _

_Don't you dare!_

Lukas didn't listen though, mimicking his mate's earlier move as he let out a howl. He knew that he was roughly in the same area as Matthias's earlier direction of travel so he hoped that it would at least lower the number of hunters after the Dane.

He kept it short, not wanting to listen to Matthias's scolding for disobeying his order, before starting the shift back. Emil was waiting for him to finish, handing him the clothes he'd abandoned earlier. "Come on, we need to get out of here." He explained as the Norwegian slipped his pants on.

"I know, just let me get dressed." Lukas snapped, shrugging into his shirt. "Fine, let's go. That idiot better not get himself hurt…"

.o.)O(.o.

Matthias was still grumbling slightly when he shook his coat free of water once ashore. The trip through the water seemed to have taken care of the dogs, he mused as he started the steady lope home. Lukas's howl seemed to have called off most of the hunters as well which left him in the clear provided he was careful.

The cold water that lingered in his fur made him shiver. The heaviness in his coat was more than a little uncomfortable. He slowed to try and shake more water from his pelt before he paused, ears focussing on a nearby sound.

He turned to locate it, eyes narrowing when he caught a glimpse of sunlight on metal. Matthias cursed, lunging forward to try and avoid the sudden blast of gunfire. He yelped as liquid fire ran through his hind leg, making him crumple.

He fought the urge to scamper away on his usable legs or to turn and face the hunter, instead remaining motionless. He knew that in order to get out of this he had to remove the threat and a surprise attack was far less likely to leave him riddled with bullets.

It took a few moments but eventually the man crept closer, Matthias relying on his hearing to judge his position. Only when he sensed the man crouch beside his still form did he make his move, lunging upwards as his jaws closed like a steel trap on the man's unprotected throat before he could raise his gun. A sharp tug tore his teeth and a portion of flesh free from the human's neck.

Blood spurted in a wide arc from the suddenly severed jugular making Matthias wrinkle his nose distastefully. He waited until he was sure that the man wasn't going to move before hesitantly rolling to his feet. His leg twinged painfully, making him whimper and turn to lick at the wound.

It appeared he wouldn't be walking on that limb for any conceivable distance…

.o.)O(.o.

Once out of the forest he came across another problem. Walking on three legs was one thing, walking on one once shifted was another. And to make matters worse the bullet hadn't passed all the way through which made the shift itself painful.

He grunted as he bound the wound to stem the bleeding before getting dressed. The last thing he wanted to get was unwanted attention.

Once dressed he sighed and prepared himself for the long limp home.

.o.)O(.o.

"I told you not to get yourself shot!" Lukas growled at the sheepishly grinning Dane. Matthias had already collapsed on the couch in order to unwrap the angry looking wound.

"I didn't do it on purpose…"

"What if I refused to treat it? What would you do then?"

"You'd really allow your mate to lose a leg due to a festering bullet wound? Please Norge? It kind of hurts…"

Lukas sighed, rolling his eyes as he moved closer to the wounded limb. "Fine. Emil? Grab the tweezers and thread please? And some rubbing alcohol might be good as well." He asked before glaring at the smiling Danish wolf. "You're lucky I love you…"

.o.)O(.o.

Berwald cursed as he finally arrived back in Turku without catching sight of Tino. He could already feel the full moon's energy teasing his senses and knew that he would only have a few hours in order to find the Finn before they both succumbed to the moon's pull, no more able to fight it than the tide.

Only problem was that he didn't know where to start. He didn't know where Tino lived nor any way to find him. Scents were too muddled in the city to try and track him that way.

What it boiled down to was shear dumb luck.

.o.)O(.o.

Tino breathed deeply to steady himself as he stood on his porch. He felt anxious, coming home after what he'd been through was nerve wracking. He bit his lip before knocking on the door, having lost his keys around the time of his first shift.

He waited nervously as he heard foot-steps approaching the door, shaking slightly as he contemplated what he was meant to say. His thoughts were interrupted when he found himself enveloped in a back breaking hug, cries of "My god! Tino! Thank god!" echoing in his ears.

An hour later found him huddled on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate clutched in his hands. He'd been deflecting most of his mother's questions, simply feigning memory loss to avoid them. He didn't think lycanthropy would be taken well as an excuse for where he'd been.

Thankfully the questions stopped eventually, the relief that he was home safe and in one piece allowing her some peace of mind to leave things be for a bit unless he remembered anything. She decided that informing the authorities could be kept till the following day.

She seemed to calm down a bit once she was sure that Tino wasn't going to vanish like a ghost, though she refused to let him out of her sight. She probably would have followed him into the bathroom if she had any choice in the matter.

This closeness soon proved to be a problem when the sun sank beneath the horizon and the moon started to climb.

The first few twitches could be ignored.

The later ones couldn't Tino realised with wide eyes. He was trying to fight it but he quickly realised he couldn't. His mind may have wanted to remain human but his body refused to comply. It didn't matter that he was in full view of his mother; he couldn't fight off the change.

She was starting to panic, asking him what was wrong as he started shaking and panting. Her eyes were just as wide as his.

He realised with a slightly bitter laugh (before his throat changed and prevented such sounds) that perhaps there was something to the full moon myth after all. And all he could do was curse the fact that no-one had warned him as the boy receded and left a wolf in his place.

**A/N2: oh boy, this won't end well…**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: yep, I find that werewolves are just not complete without a few vampires thrown in the mix :) thanks for the review!**

**Shades: haha, you managed to review for the seventh chapter at the exact moment I posted the eighth :) yep, got the pack dynamics in one :) glad you're enjoying the pairings :) yep, Tino's in trouble and Berwald to the rescue! And Ja, Artie's pack is in for a wild ride that will affect EVERYONE. Thanks for the review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: a sweet chapter to make up for all the terrible things Tino has gone (and is going to go) through :) now I should probably stop listening to Afrikaans music and get some lunch…**

**Oh and happy Midsummer/Yule for tomorrow! Here's hoping none of us die ;)**

**Hetalia isn't mine**

_August moon_

_Made just for you_

_A steady ready smile like his_

_August moon- Gregory and the Hawk_

The first thing Tino became aware of was his head being too crowded.

_Damn I think I tore my stitches…_

_Gee, no shit!_

_Could you two not argue for once?_

_Tino? Where are you?_

The Finn shook his head to try and clear his thoughts, his ears going back as he met his mother's shocked and scared gaze.

_Um… I think I might be in trouble? …my mom's here. _He murmured nervously. He tried taking a step towards his mother to reassure her and whined when she moved backwards, hands raised defensively.

She was scared of him. The realisation stung when it crossed his mind.

_Tino, get out of there. She won't understand. _Berwald said sympathetically. _It's too risky to stay there, she might hurt you or you might unintentionally hurt her._

There were a series of agreements from the others as Tino whined again; trying to move forwards once more. His eyes widened when the woman who'd raised him picked up a lamp and raised it threateningly. His lips curled instinctively at the threat before he gave in and listened to Berwald.

He gave a final pitiful whine before running towards the nearest exit that he could get through. He yelped as the window gave before his weight, shards of glass cutting into his skin.

_You okay Tino? _Lukas asked, cocking his head from where he was lying beside Matthias.

_Just a bit scratched up Hahaha! _ He yelped again as he started running along the pavement, having to pause to try and shake the glass from his coat. _Perkele! Okay, maybe I should have thought that through more…_

There were several small laughs before Berwald spoke. _Where are you Tino? Is there anywhere you can hole up till morning? _

Tino cocked his head thoughtfully, not breaking stride. _There's an empty house not far from here. Is that alright do you think?_

_It should be. Where is it? What's the address?_

Tino told him, changing his direction to head towards his new destination. _Where are you?_

_A few kilometres away. I'll be there soon so be careful._

_That goes for both of you. _Matthias warned. _I think we've had enough injuries this week…_

_Was Lukas okay? _Berwald asked, remembering what the others had been doing while he'd gone after Tino.

_What happened? _Tino asked, confused.

_I'm fine, so is Emil. Matthias managed to get himself shot by being an idiot. _Lukas explained. _We just ran into some hunters that's all._

_A bit irritating really. Normally we'd all go running together… we can't with so many people searching the woods though, two bodies were a bit too much for the humans to accept. _Emil added mid-yawn.

_TWO bodies? _Berwald growled.

_Hey! It was self-defence! And maybe a little revenge based… _Matthias grumbled.

Tino blinked, not sure how to respond. He distracted himself by squirming under the fence to the property he'd mentioned, whimpering when the wooden slates rubbed against his cuts and pieces of glass that were still imbedded in his flesh. He came close to getting stuck but managed to free himself at the last minute.

Once through he glanced around curiously, panting slightly. _Do I have to go through another window again? Cause that kind of hurt last time…_

_If it hurts then don't do it stupid! _Lukas growled.

_But how else am I meant to get in? _Tino grumbled. _Chew myself in?_

_Berwald, no offence but your mate is "special"…_

Tino would have flushed had he been human due to the Norwegian's comments but everyone else merely chuckled.

_Just sit tight Tino, I'll be there soon. _Berwald promised. _Stay out of sight though._

The Finn sighed, moving to curl up under a large tree. He started amusing himself by trying to groom the shards of glass from his fur, yelping slightly if the sharp pieces cut his gums and tongue.

Human worries seemed distant in this form. He knew he should be having a minor panic attack over what his mother had seen but instead there was nothing bar a few stray thoughts wondering what would happen.

_If she's smart she'll keep it to herself. If she doesn't then it'll be attributed to stress at losing her son. _Emil mused, glancing over at where Matthias and Lukas were contently lying together longingly. His lupine instincts wanted him to move over there as well whilst his human ones demanded that he give the pair space. It wasn't the first time he'd felt the desire for companionship.

Tino gave an acknowledging sigh before he flinched, hackles raised at a foreign sound. He only relaxed when he caught the scent that he only connected to Berwald, standing and wagging his tail.

The larger wolf immediately strode over to him, nuzzling him tenderly. All of the refusal to see Berwald as his mate had faded with Tino's human form, allowing him to give the swede's muzzle a tentative lick.

Matthias chuckled as he sensed the affectionate display. _Just remember that we're here as well, save it for another time okay? I don't care if it's winter._

Berwald rolled his eyes. _Yeah, like you've always followed that rule… you and Lukas might as well be rabbits… _he growled before moving to examine the property.

_Hey we're not going at it now are we?_

_Only because you're in the same room as Emil. If you were outside like we normally are you would be. _The swede gave a soft grunt at the frustrated silence that met his comment. Neither Matthias nor Lukas were able to deny the fact. He paused at the old wooden shed in the corner, scenting rotting wood curiously before nosing the door which creaked as is swung open.

…_I didn't think of that… _Tino mumbled, ducking his head in embarrassment. He'd been so focused on the house that he'd never even considered examining the run down shed. He slunk forward dejectedly as he crept into the cool interior, laughter ringing in his ears.

Even Berwald was chuckling as he followed after him and allowed the door to swing shut and plunge them into semi darkness. He moved amidst the forgotten and broken tools left by the previous owners before lying down and glancing towards Tino with a cocked head.

The smaller wolf hesitated for a moment before moving to lie down beside him. He flinched when he felt a tongue working through his fur, glancing at Berwald anxiously.

_I'm just getting the glass you missed. _He promised, returning to grooming him and licking the small cuts he found soothingly. Tino soon found himself feeling sleepy under the relaxing feeling, laying his head on his paws with a sigh.

He sensed Emil finally giving in to his instinctive desires as he crept forward to lie beside Matthias and Lukas, no-one paying it much mind. He didn't even react when Berwald ceased grooming him and lay his heavy head across his shoulders.

All five of them lay in content silence across their two separate areas, dozing and even falling asleep completely as they waited for the fat silver moon to sink below the horizon for yet another month.

Tino realised, just before he sunk into unconsciousness leaning against the steadily rising and falling chest of the larger animal beside him, that perhaps being a wolf wasn't such a bad thing. Especially if being a wolf meant more nights like this one.

**A/N2: see? I can do cute!**

**Note: winter is typically wolf and other canines mating season which is what Matthias was referring to.**

**Review replies: **

**Keiron: why was everyone convinced that Tino was going to nom his mom? I'm not that evil… most of the time! Thanks for the review!**

**Shades: yep, that you do! And the day is thankfully saved by a rather big anti-climax regarding Tino and his mom :) I'll probably include something on Artie's pack next chapter :) thanks for the review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: we meet Arthur's pack and Sealand (briefly) in this chapter :) along with some more babbling Tino :D **

**Enjoy :)**

_I'm coming back_

_I will return_

_And I'll possess your body_

_And I'll make you burn_

_I'll have the fire_

_I'll have the force_

_I'll have the power_

_To make my evil take its course_

_Number of the beast- Iron Maiden_

Tino blinked sleepily as the first glimmer of sunlight crossed his eyes through the few gaps between the wooden slates of the shed. He yawned, leaning back against the warmth behind him before frowning as it moved. Strong arms wrapped around his torso in a tight grip.

The previous night came to him in a rush as he realised who he was leaning against. The Finn flinched, turning his head before letting out a surprised squeak when he caught Berwald staring at him. Even without his glasses he was terrifying.

"…how long have you been awake?" he eventually asked once his heart rate calmed.

The swede shrugged. "few hours… ah didn't wan' t' wake ya…"

Tino nodded hesitantly before blushing when he realised that they were both as naked as the day they were born. "Um… you don't happen to have any clothes on you do you?" he mumbled, glancing away as he tried to ignore their close proximity.

Berwald blinked, raising an eyebrow a few millimetres. "no." he stated matter of factly.

The smaller blonde went impossibly darker. "What? But, how are we meant to get out of here? We can't walk around like this! We'll be arrested! We'll be sent to prison! I don't want to go to prison!" he protested.

The other male chuckled, his chest shaking against the part of Tino's back that was pressed against it. "We ha'e fur."

"But I don't want to wear a dead animal! And that will get us even more stares! We'll get all bloody!"

"Tino? Yer a werew'lf…"

Tino blinked before ducking his head in embarrassment. "Hahaha… right… can we get going before I say anything else stupid?"

The swede nodded, releasing the other from his grasp in order to stand. His joints popped when he stretched, working out all the kinks that came from lying on a cold and dusty floor. Tino found it hard not to stare and immediately scolded himself when he caught his eyes tracing the other's muscles.

"Are ya gettin' up?" Berwald asked, glancing over at where Tino was still on the floor and glancing anywhere that wasn't the blonde. He didn't want to shift if the Finn had changed his mind.

Tino nodded, laughing nervously as he followed the other's example but tried to cover himself as well. Sure, Berwald may have seen everything already but that didn't mean he was ready to let him stare away.

His attempts at securing privacy didn't seem to deter the other however so Tino sighed and started to change shape. At least that way, he mused as he grit his teeth; there wouldn't be much to stare at.

.o.)O(.o.

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief as he exited the airport and took in the familiar sights of London. The vial Vlad had given him was safe in his rucksack and protected from outside detection through a basic masking spell. It wasn't as if all his spells went wrong after all…

His eyes scanned the crowded streets expectantly, looking for Seamus, Rhys or Scottie. His rather large eyes furrowed when he caught no sign of any of them and he cursed. They'd promised to send someone to pick him up.

Though to be honest he couldn't really be surprised… Vlad had gotten his packs dislike of him correct after all.

He sighed but didn't stop swearing as he headed over to the taxi terminal. He really hated his pack sometimes…

He hoped the vial did what was promised.

.o.)O(.o.

"Oy! What happened to picking me up wankers?" Arthur shouted as he dragged his small suitcase over the threshold of his house. A large red head merely raised an eyebrow at the outburst.

"Oh, you're back are ya? Pity…"

The British man rolled his eyes. "Yes Scottie, I'm back. Now what was so blimming important that you left your alpha at the bloody airport?"

"I didn't feel like it and neither did Rhys for that matter. Seamus was looking after some kid he accidently bit yesterday so he was also busy."

"What the hell do you mean 'some kid he accidently bit'?!" Arthur growled. He was fighting back the urge to shift and force the Scottish man to treat him with respect.

"His name's Peter and like Scottie said, it was accidental." Seamus explained in his strong Irish lilt as he came into the room to see what the fuss was about. A small boy, barely over a decade old followed after him.

"You bit a child! How can you justify that?"

"I'm not a child!" Peter protested, he flinched when the alpha turned to glare at him.

"Calm down Arthur. We've been needing to replenish our numbers ever since you chased off Antonio and Francis." Rhys argued as he too came into the room.

"Personally I think we should just follow his example… at least Antonio or Ludwig are worthy of the respect they get." Scottie grumbled.

"I didn't chase them off!" Arthur snapped.

"No you just pushed them to the point where they refused to obey you any longer. Even Francis grew to hate you and you two were all but mates." Seamus growled. The other's nodded in agreement. Even Peter was nodding and he hadn't even known Arthur for two minutes, personally the Brit suspected the other had been telling tales about him.

"You know what, fuck you! If you love those two so much than why don't you go join them?" the brit snarled, storming upstairs.

He was still biting back lupine growls when he threw his bags on his bed. He hated being reminded of Francis and Antonio, the pair were nothing to him now but traitors.

Francis and his whispered declarations of love, Antonio's cheerful smile… They were both lies. His lover and his beta, both were long gone.

Sure, maybe he had pushed them to hard. Shouted at them one too many times. But he wasn't the only alpha like that! Why did he deserve to be stabbed in the back like that?

"_Enough Arthur!" Francis snapped, blue eyes angry. The emotion was strange in the normally playful gaze. _

_Arthur's eyes narrowed. "What? What did I do wrong this time?"_

"_You need to make up your mind damn it! Dieu! You say you love me and then you push me away! And you say I'm bad! Which is it? Do you love me or don't you?"_

"_Of course I do you twat!" the brit growled._

"_Then why do you keep pushing me away? I'm not a toy for you to play with Arthur! Either fight and hate me or love me, not both!" the Frenchman's eyes widened as the brit let loose an instinctive punch that grazed the blonde's jaw._

_The hurt was there for only a moment before his eyes hardened. "I'll take that as your answer then."_

Losing Francis had been bad enough but Antonio had taken the Frenchman's side and after two days of fighting (both verbal and physical) they were gone. They'd gone to Ludwig based on an old friendship with the German's brother and beta and been welcomed with open arms.

Now Antonio held his own territory and pack leaving Arthur with nought but the memories and scars and a pack that refused to obey. His territory had grown smaller and smaller every year as the pack dynamics continued to fracture.

He sighed, casting his eyes towards the vial that was hidden in his bag before retrieving it and rolling it in his fingers. Was it too much to hope for to just have everything the way it used to be?

The dark liquid inside the vial ran viscously across the glass, dying it red. His emerald gaze didn't leave it as he hesitantly pulled the stopper loose. The rich iron tang of blood reached his nose as he cast the cork aside.

He paused a moment before bringing the cold glass to his lips and swallowing the contents. He shivered, partly due to the taste and partly because of the chill that ran down his spine.

The chill was soon overcome by a sudden urge to empty his stomach. Arthur retched, crawling towards the bathroom.

He felt too cold…

He growled in frustration, unable to hold back the sound before he whimpered. It felt like someone was clawing at his mind.

His thoughts shifted back and forth as he fought the feeling.

So hungry… god, I'm going to be sick… I want to kill… this is too much, I want to die…

He groaned, shaking slightly as he clawed at the sink to pull himself upright. His shivers only intensified as he saw his eyes in the mirror.

The green was darkening drastically; the whites of his eyes were changing from a healthy white to black.

Suddenly he was no longer scared, no longer shaking or groaning. Instead Arthur stared at his pitch black eyes and laughed.

This was going to be enjoyable.

**A/N2: and the lesson is, don't take candy from strangers or vials of mysterious substances from vampires. It's a bad idea!**

**I'm curious as to what you think is happening to Arthur, though if you can guess then either: **

**A. get out of my head… it's crowded as is.**

**B. give me the next lotto numbers cause those are some good psychic powers you've got there! **

**C. you're cheating since you're one of the people I bounce ideas off of.**

**Hope you enjoyed the back story to what happened to Arthur, Francis and Antonio!**

**Review replies!**

**Shades: yep, no nomming of relatives! That sufin moment was fun to write :) thanks, I'm so into this story that I can put out chapters pretty quickly :) probably costs me some reviews though… good thing the world didn't end then :) though theoretically if the Mayan calendar was correct we would have died thirty years back since they didn't account for two months being added to the year and leap years. In my opinion, they stopped writing the calendar because they got bored. Thanks for the review!**

**Gore fan 37: your review made me laugh! Though I agree, I would be busy hugging the wolf as well just without the command to stay off the furniture seeing as I already share the couch and my bed with one puppy :) thanks for the review!**

**Keiron: no worries, I know I'm mean :) and to be fair, one original werewolf story I wrote a few years back involved the main character eating her mom at one point… thanks for the review!**

**And on another note: finally! We actually have some rain! Woot! No more heat stroke for me!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: fluffy Christmas special! Mainly a filler chapter with more fluff than is healthy… and frikken long as well…**

**Happy Howlidays everyone! *shot for bad pun***

_Deep in the dark_

_You'll surrender your heart_

_But you know_

_But you know that you can't fight the moonlight_

_No you can't fight it_

_No matter what you do_

_The night is gonna get to you_

_Can't fight the moonlight- Leann Rimes_

Thankfully Berwald had thought to pack extra clothes into his car before taking off after Tino making the Finn breathe a sigh of relief as he got dressed. The last thing he wanted was to have to travel around naked especially once he learnt that they would be heading to Trondheim, Norway instead of heading back to Helsinki.

"Why are we heading there?" he asked softly, strapping himself into the car.

"Too risky ta stay here." Berwald explained, "'t's better ta move on. Matthias will sen' everythin' there."

Tino nodded hesitantly. "What about the car I took? It's still at my mom's…"

The swede shrugged. "We'll leave 't, 'ts in another name anyw'y…"

"But it's a CAR. Isn't it expensive? And my licence is in there!"

Berwald sighed, "gi'e me my phone…"

The smaller blonde blinked before retrieving the cellular device and giving it to the other. "Isn't this illegal?" he asked as Berwald typed in a number and held the phone to his ear as he drove.

The swede didn't answer. "'Mil? 'T's Berw'ld. Have ya lef' yet? Good, can ya pick up the oth'r car fer me?" he paused, listening to the other speak before nodding and rattling off the address along with warnings to be careful.

"He'll meet us in N'rway." He added, hanging up the phone.

Tino nodded before frowning as he thought of something. "Hang on… it'll take us several days to get to Trondheim… how will we manage Christmas? We will only have two days to sort it out! Emil might miss it!" he realised. His life had been so hectic lately that his favourite holiday had all but slipped his mind.

"…we don't n'rmally do Chris'mas…" Berwald murmured.

"What! You don't do Christmas!? How can you not do Christmas?"

The swede shrugged. "M'tthias and ah were born before 't was celebrat'd 'nd neither Luk's nor 'mil really care…" he explained. "we migh' gi'e each oth'r a gif' if we rem'mber but that's 't…"

Tino's eyes were wide as he took that in. "b-but… it's Christmas!"

Berwald sighed, "ah'll see wha' ah can do…"

.o.)O(.o.

Tino blinked when instead of stopping at a motel or café Berwald pulled up in front of a mall. They'd already been on the road for two days. "Why are we here?"

"Clothes 'nd presen's." Berwald explained. His statement only made Tino even more confused. Clothes he could understand seeing as he was currently stealing from Lukas but presents? The swede had already said that he and the others didn't really do Christmas.

"But I thought you didn't do Christmas…" he said with a wince. How could someone not do Christmas after all!

"'t seemed importan' ta ya." The last thing Berwald expected in response to his words was a surprised squeal and an excited hug from the Finn. The action seemed to surprise Tino as well seeing as he pulled away with a blush and a nervous laugh.

"Hahaha… sorry…" he mumbled.

"'t's alrigh'. Let's get ya some clothes firs'…"

.o.)O(.o.

By the time Tino had bought some clothes (some being an understatement) Berwald was starting to resemble a pack horse. The swede didn't even know how much they'd spent… he hoped that the Finn wouldn't buy too many presents purely because he wasn't sure he could carry them.

He could barely see where he was going to the extent that he'd carried on for several meters before realising that he'd somehow misplaced Tino. He turned, craning his head to look over the bags and boxes in his arms.

Thankfully he almost immediately managed to spot Tino. The Finn had his hands pressed against the glass of the pet store as he stared at the puppies on display eagerly. "Look at them! They're so cute!" he all but squealed when Berwald back tracked to stand beside him.

The swede nodded. "Ja, they are. Wha' are they?" he asked. He hadn't been around dogs in a while and didn't have a clue on dog breeds.

"Alaskan malamutes, I prefer small dogs that you can pick up and cuddle but still. They're adorable!"

"Do ya mind if ah go put these in the car?" Berwald asked as Tino continued to stare at the puppies.

The Finn nodded, finally glancing away. "Sure! I prefer getting presents alone anyway. Where should I meet you?" he asked.

"Food cour'?" Berwald offered before juggling the various objects in his arms to grab his wallet and pull out a bank card. "Here, use 't to pay fer wha'ever ya need." He murmured before telling him the pin number.

Tino's blush immediately told him that he hadn't considered how he was going to buy anything but he accepted the card with a quiet thanks. He gave a final glance at the puppies before darting away to vanish amongst the crowd.

.o.)O(.o.

He quickly realised that his new found friends were rather difficult to shop for. He didn't know what any of them enjoyed let alone didn't have! He sighed, resorting to wandering through the first store he came to for inspiration.

He paused at the electronics section thoughtfully. Matthias was playful… he mused, glancing at the gaming systems before picking up one of the boxes. He nodded, putting the PlayStation into his basket along with a few games.

The PlayStation could be a combined gift he realised with a grin before moving on to pick up a few other things. He'd been wearing Lukas's clothes long enough to know what his particular style and size was so he added several garments to his pile. He'd noticed that Emil's computer background had involved puffins as well so he couldn't resist adding a stuffed puffin to the mix along with a book he felt the Icelandic boy might enjoy.

Berwald however proved difficult. He'd yet to catch him doing something for fun that he could take advantage of… he was on the verge of giving up and just getting him a gift card when he finally found something that caught his eye.

He remembered how plain their shared bedroom was as well as the scent of wood that always seemed to cling to the swede as if he'd just walked out of a woodwork class. He also remembered just how fond the other seemed to be of him as he picked up clock set in varnished wood. The wood had been carved so that a pair of wolves (one larger than the other) raced each other at the base.

He stood there thoughtfully for a moment as he held the clock. It would probably just give Berwald the wrong idea and encourage him…

Of course he had practically leapt on him earlier so he couldn't exactly do much worse he realised as he sighed and added it to the basket carefully. He couldn't give him a gift card after all!

.o.)O(.o.

He was shocked when he saw how much everything came to and even more shocked when the card covered it without any issues. The last time he'd checked none of the others worked yet they still had all this money? He shook his head and took the presents over to the gift wrapping section to be wrapped; he'd see just how much money was in the account afterwards.

His eyes widened when he saw the amount once he was finished getting his presents wrapped and had found an ATM. There was over five million in there! How the hell did they get that much money without using illegal methods?

Oh god, what if they were using illegal methods?

o.)O(.o.

"Are you a criminal?" Tino asked as he sat down opposite Berwald in the food court.

The stern looking blonde frowned. "Wha' do ya mean?"

"How do have so much money on here?"

The swede gave a light chuckle. "Val'able antiques ten' ta build up with us… 'Nd we s'metimes do odd jobs if we get bore'." He admitted.

Tino breathed a sigh of relief. "So no criminal activities?"

"Not fer several d'cades. M'tthias was bore' tha' time…"

.o.)O(.o.

For a group that didn't celebrate Christmas, Tino mused, they did a rather good job at decorating. A large fir stood in the corner in the lounge of the pack's Norwegian abode draped with tinsel, lights and more ornaments than what seemed possible. More tinsel covered every available surface and Matthias was currently nailing sprigs of mistletoe above every possible doorway and trying to convince Lukas to stand under it with him.

The Norwegian merely looked bored as he put presents under the tree and occasionally told the Dane to shut up. Matthias took it all in his stride though, going so far as to sing Christmas carols (which only Tino seemed to join him in) with slightly altered lyrics.

Berwald sighed, going over to help Lukas as he dumped their groceries on the couch. "'mil will have a heart attack when he ge's here…" he mused. The other werewolf nodded, ignoring his mate for all he was worth as he started singing twelve days of Christmas with Tino. The pair had moved on to pinning up stockings above the fireplace.

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me! A werewolf barking up the wrong tree!" Matthias all but shouted before falling backwards as he started laughing.

"What did you feed them?" Emil asked as he came through the front door and stared at the laughing Tino and Matthias.

"Just ignore them and put your gifts under the tree." Lukas grumbled, glaring at the pair who were now trying to think of what to put in as the next line. "It'll get old eventually…"

.o.)O(.o.

It took several more hours for the pair to calm down, having gone through werewolf versions of Jingle bells; we wish you a merry Christmas, silent night and of course twelve days of Christmas. They probably would have continued had it not been for Tino meeting Berwald in one of the doorways that Matthias had gotten to with his mistletoe by accident. The pair blushed slightly as they glanced up at the sprig of green and white.

"About time…" Lukas chuckled as Matthias enthusiastically took up a chant of ordering them to kiss. Even Emil was watching curiously as Tino and Berwald glanced at each other awkwardly.

There was a moment of hesitation before the Finn went scarlet and stood on tip-toes to peck the Swedish wolf's lips. He ducked his head afterwards and scurried back into the lounge in embarrassment as Matthias cheered and wolf whistled.

Lukas shook his head at his mate's reaction but didn't scold him. "It's getting pretty late…" he murmured as he glanced at his watch. "I'm guessing that you and Matthias will want to get up at the crack of dawn as well…" he accused.

Tino shrugged guiltily as he forgot his embarrassment for a moment. "Haha… maybe? It's tradition!"

There were several chuckles at his enthusiasm before they all agreed that perhaps some sleep would do them all good. Not before Matthias managed to steal a kiss from Lukas below the mistletoe though.

.o.)O(.o.

Lukas had expected Tino to be excited and wake up as early as possible but he hadn't expected Matthias to be just as enthusiastic. He groaned as he looked at the clock. Four thirty. This was an unholy time to get up…

He would have happily buried his head under the covers and gone back to sleep if it weren't for Matthias leaping onto the bed to try and rouse him.

"If you enjoy having your manhood I'd leave me alone…" he growled, glaring at the Dane sleepily. Matthias pouted.

"But Norge! I want to give you your present… and Tino's already awake…"

Lukas groaned, why the hell did he have to go say something like that? He couldn't kill him for that…

"Fine… just give me a minute." He sighed.

.o.)O(.o.

It took several moments to rouse Emil from his sleep, the Icelandic wolf lucky enough that he didn't have a mate that would disturb his slumber. It didn't take long though for everyone to be gathered in the lounge at the base of the lit Christmas tree. Someone, most likely Berwald, had lit a fire in the fireplace to keep the room warm.

Matthias and Tino were the only two not yawning as they eagerly handed out the presents. Lukas was glowering at the Dane venomously whilst Emil and Berwald merely looked tired.

Presents handed out they eagerly (or less than for the tired wolves) tore apart the gift wrap, casting I aside enthusiastically as they showed off their gifts. Though such brandishing turned out to be quite dangerous when Matthias held up an authentic and sharp war axe that Berwald had given him and almost hacked the Christmas tree down for a second time.

It could also be embarrassing as proven by Emil's gift from Matthias of pornography (so that he wouldn't feel lonely, the Dane explained). Thankfully after such extremes the other gifts proved harmless.

There were books, clothes, movies, chocolates, Tino's gifts which proved to be very popular (Matthias had to be dragged back down when he tried running off to play his new games). Berwald even cracked a rare smile as he opened up his gift from Tino, embarrassing the Finn by giving him an awkward hug.

The smaller blonde frowned though when he realised that he hadn't received a gift from the swede. He'd given everyone else a gift but him…

Matthias raised an eyebrow when he realised that as well, making Berwald sigh. "ah'll be righ' back." He promised as he got to his feet.

He was true to his promise, returning after a few moments with a large box in hand. The box was open at the top, small yips coming from what was inside. The swede seemed nervous as he gave the box to the Finn. "Merry Chris'mas Tino."

The Finn blinked as he took the box before grinning as he picked up a small white puppy. "Berwald! She's so cute! Thank you! Thank you!" he laughed as he hugged the puppy and gave the Swede a kiss much to everyone's surprise.

"You got him a dog?" Lukas asked, a little surprised.

Berwald shrugged, "he likes 'em." He explained, going back to staring at his mate.

"I'm going to call her Bloody-Hanatamago!" Tino declared.

There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at the Finn. The small blonde blinked, "what? It sounds cool!"

Berwald sighed. "How about somethin' less weir'?" he asked

"I could go with Sardine-Panic? Or Cheese Castle? Go for it Bomber?" he offered.

"Why don't ya shorten yer original name 'nd call her Hanatamago?" Berwald tried, struggling to get his tongue round the name. He was starting to feel sorry for the dog because of his mate's name choices.

"Aww… alright… do we have any food for her?" Tino relented. Berwald nodded, the pair getting up to feed the dog.

The others were still staring at the Finn in confusion before glancing at Emil curiously. "What does Hanatamago even mean?" Matthias asked with a raised eyebrow.

The Icelandic wolf put down his stuffed puffin for a moment to grab his phone and Google it. He blinked in shock as he saw the translation.

"…Flower-egg."

**A/N2: enjoy three hours of my life… Tino should be banned from naming things in my opinion!**

**Review replies:**

**Shades: yep, an extremely boring job in my opinion! You'll have to wait and see what happens with Arthur and his pack :) thanks for the review!**

**Keiron: yep, me not getting sun stroke is good! Ja, England was Sealand's original owner but having Arthur bite him wouldn't work out plot wise, though something slightly more accurate in that sense will happen soon enough. Thanks for the reviews!**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: you meet three of Ludwig's pack this chapter! And learn what's wrong with Arthur! Warning for the mention of character death!**

**Hope everyone had an awesome Christmas!**

_Night I left the city_

_I dreamt of a wolf_

_He came from where the winds are cold_

_And truth is seen through keyholes_

_Strange longings never sleep_

_Now he's come where no hearts beat_

_Cry wolf_

_Time to worry_

_Cry wolf _

_Time to worry now_

_Cry wolf- A Ha_

As the Christmas hype slowly started to die down Tino found himself falling into place amongst his new found pack. He didn't bother trying to head home anymore, he'd learnt his lesson. He fell into a rough ritual in his new home, balancing his wolf side out with his human one.

If he wasn't running through the nearby woods with his pack he was playing with Hanatamago or playing on the new PlayStation with one of the others. He'd successfully completed a hunt for deer with some help from the more experienced wolves and was slowly losing his distrust of what he was. The transition between each side of his dual nature had become almost seamless.

He'd grown so used to life with the other wolves that the things that had at first shocked him now seemed common place. The occasional glimpse of one of the others naked? No longer disconcerting. Lukas and Matthias's fights and arguments? Background noise. Emil's apathy? Daily occurrence. Lukas and Matthias's sometimes loud bedroom activities? …okay that one was still awkward.

He was growing far more comfortable around Berwald as well, no longer scared of his glares. Even sharing a bed was no longer uncomfortable. Not that he was admitting the presence of a mate bond mind you! Berwald's bed just happened to be more comfortable than the couch…

The swede didn't seem to mind Tino's denial either. He accepted it but didn't stop with his fond gestures either and the semi-awkward hugs soon became just another commonplace occurrence for the Finn.

The others took it in turns to educate Tino on the finer things that came from being a werewolf. He learnt the exact places where the Nordic's territory ended and the other packs' began along with the individual scents of each of his pack mates. He'd been shown pictures of each of the nearby packs as well as told the basic hierarchy of each. He was taught how to fight as both a wolf and a human in an afternoon that had ended in five bruised and battered wolves (Tino slightly more so unfortunately.)

He couldn't say he was unhappy either, now that he was settled in to his new existence he was actually surprisingly happy. He was so cheerful that it wasn't uncommon for Lukas to roll his eyes and compare him to Matthias (albeit a less obnoxious version, he'd concede) when he refused to stop talking.

Of course such easy times couldn't last…

.o.)O(.o.

_Hey Norge! Catch me if you can! _Matthias shouted, turning midstride to pull away from the Norwegian after nipping his shoulder.

Lukas immediately growled at him before cursing loudly. It didn't take long before he sighed and bolted after the vanishing Dane. Things had been going so well lately that the pack had decided a group run was called for but Matthias couldn't allow things to remain peaceful for more than ten minutes.

_You shouldn't tease him Matthias… _Emil mused, watching the pair with a cocked head. Berwald just sighed and shook his massive head while his mate laughed and gave an excited yip when Lukas caught up and bit the Dane slightly harder than necessary.

_Lukas… that hurt! _Matthias whined, his tail wagging giving away the fact that he didn't mind.

Lukas snorted, trotting back to the trio of waiting wolves. _Good, it was meant to. _The alpha sighed but followed after the Norwegian with a wolfish grin.

_Don't worry Matthias! He's just in denial! _Tino reassured before yelping as Lukas growled and nipped his flank.

_Look who's talking. _The darker wolf accused before ducking his head at Berwald's glare. The swede paused in order to nuzzle Tino before returning to glower at Lukas.

_Apologise._

The Norwegian rolled his eyes. _Sorry for pointing out the truth._

The bickering probably would have continued had Emil not frozen, turning to face the breeze blowing over them with a warning growl. His lips pulled back over his teeth to bare formidable canines as he scented the air. _We've got company approaching… _he warned as the others paused in their arguments.

Berwald and Matthias's hackles immediately bristled as they moved to stand at the head of the group and snarled fiercely. Even Tino could feel the fur on the back of his neck rising as he caught the intruders scents. He could smell wolf on the breeze but none of the scents belonged to his pack.

He could pick up three separate individuals and their scent markers, resin, something floral and strangely enough feathers. Whoever was approaching was obviously a stranger to him.

They stood stiffly for a few minutes, all growling as the strange wolves drew closer, and their approach was soon audible. The lead wolf, when the strange trio appeared, could have been mistaken for Emil at a distance. He was larger though, without any grey to mar his fur. Instead he was stark white with eyes as red as rubies. Two darker wolves stood at his flanks as he pulled up, the smaller one female although the male was just as slimly built.

The albino wolf looked at Matthias's snarling form in amusement before glaring at the pair behind him as they obviously made a comment. The Dane took advantage of the other's distraction to leap forward with a snarl.

The other pair of wolves stared in surprise at their now fighting leader before sighing and glancing at each other. They looked up at Berwald's growl as the wolf walked forward on stiff legs before casting their eyes down respectfully. Lukas seemed to be contemplating leaping into the fray to help his mate despite Matthias's orders to stay out of it.

The last thing anyone was expecting was for the female wolf to grumble to herself and change back to a human form. Berwald immediately ignored her to focus on the remaining wolf as Tino felt awkward at the suddenly naked woman in their midst. If Lukas and Emil felt awkward they didn't show it, the Norwegian ignoring his mate in order to leap forward and bite at the albino's foreleg while Emil moved to stand at the swede's flank. The Finn soon moved to join the pair.

"Matthias, Lukas? I'd appreciate it if you release Gilbert. We're here on important business despite how the idiot acts…" The brunette woman ordered as the white wolf yelped. Lukas's eyes narrowed as he turned to face the woman before changing back at Matthias's nod. The Dane didn't relent in his attacks on the strange wolf however.

"Elizaveta. What are you doing here?" The Norwegian asked, glancing between his mate and the others. "This area belongs to us."

"We know that. We bring important news though, release our Beta and we can talk."

Matthias growled at the idea but sighed, allowing the albino to slink away. Both wolves were covered in scratches.

Gilbert yelped slightly when Elizaveta scowled at him and gave him a clout behind the ear. His ruby eyes narrowed as he changed back. "Damn it woman! He started it!" he growled. The other wolf shook his head before following in suite.

"Ja, because you challenged him." the brunette man accused, tucking a piece of flyaway hair behind his ear.

_Tino, Emil? Change back. Berwald, stay as you are. I don't want to be caught vulnerable. _Matthias ordered as he too shifted into human form.

Berwald growled in affirmative as he remained with his eyes fixed on the trio of strange werewolves. Tino and Emil shared a glance before nodding and following Matthias's example. The other three gazed at Tino curiously.

"He's new." The albino smirked, ignoring Matthias's glare and Berwald's growl. "The awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt and the far less awesome Elizaveta and Roderich at your service!"

"Back off Gilbert or I won't hesitate to allow Berwald to tear your damn throat out." Matthias growled.

"I apologise for him." Roderich murmured, looking down his nose at the albino. "His brother gives him point and it goes to his already inflated head…"

"I was just being polite!"

"Damn it Gilbert, would you just shut up?" Elizaveta growled.

"Why are you here?" Lukas repeated. Tino nodded, glad that the attention had been diverted from him as he sunk his fingers into Berwald's fur to calm them both down.

"My brother sent me with a message." Gilbert explained, growing slightly more serious.

"Then why isn't he here instead of you?" Matthias accused.

"Because Ludwig is currently in Siberia with Feliciano trying to track down Ivan's pack to give them the same message." Gilbert spat out the Russian's name distastefully. "There's a summons. A meeting for all the packs is to be held in Berlin on the fifteenth."

Emil frowned at the explanation. "There hasn't been a summons for centuries. Why now?"

"Because we found the bodies of practically all of Arthur's pack. It was in the human news as well." Elizaveta interjected.

"Silver bullets?" Matthias asked with a raised eyebrow. "If Arthur did something stupid enough to expose his pack I don't see why it's our problem."

"They were killed by another wolf, a single wolf who took down three wolves in a matter of seconds without suffering a wound. We found Seamus, Rhys and Scottie two weeks ago, Antonio picked up Arthur's scent there but he's not amongst the dead. The papers are blaming a large dog for the attack." Gilbert stated.

"Ja, and there was another scent there as well. Fire and sulphur." Roderich added before anyone could protest.

"That's a demonic scent! Demons can't possess werewolves. We're no more compatible than demons and vampires!" Matthias scoffed.

The Austrian glanced at Lukas whose eyes were wide. "Your mate seems to have a different opinion. Why don't you correct him Lukas?"

"…most demons can't possess a werewolf but there's one type that can… there hasn't been a case of one in millennia since even supernatural beings struggle to summon them." he mumbled. Berwald gave an anxious whine, looking towards his pack mate. Lukas sighed, glancing towards Matthias. Everyone was stiff with worry at his tone.

"A hell hound…"

**A/N2: *dramatic music* jou ma se! Houston, we have a hell hound problem! How many of you guessed that that was what was wrong with Arthur?**

**Ja, Scottie, Rhys and Seamus are dead, might do a flash back at some point from Arthur's pov about it…**

**Review replies!**

**Shades: yep, sweet chapter full of fluffiness! Ja, they've gathered quite a bit of money over the years :) as for the whole Matthias giving Emil porn, well, the Danish did have a museum of pornography and erotica before the place closed :D glad you liked it, thanks for the review!**

**Keiron: tangents are fine :) and ja Matthias would tease them mercilessly if that happened! You'll just have to wait and see what happens! Glad you liked it, thanks for the review!**

**Please review! Reviews make me feel awesome and slightly less confused seeing as the midsummer's ritual I did had a surprising side effect… Prussia, if you did the ritual I apologise! Especially if you got the same kick that myself and Italy got…**

**Empathy for the record sucks! Especially when you have to deal with the emotions that my coven puts out… I've got laziness, guilt, frustration, longing, hyper-activity, a desire for control and god knows what else running around my head and I have no clue which are my own emotions!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: things are getting problematic for Tino and the others! At least this means you'll get to meet the other wolves :) I'll put a list of the packs at the bottom for you.**

**Enjoy!**

_We go out in the morning_

_Down the trail to somewhere_

_You are the sound that I hear_

_You are the sound that I hear_

_We are not standing_

_We are falling_

_The wolf- Red Riding Hood_

"Tell us everything." Matthias growled.

They'd reconvened back at the house after the tense encounter in the woods and were now all positioned in the lounge back in clothed human forms. Matthias and Berwald were still standing stiffly as they stared at the Eastern Europe pack members in distrust.

"What's there to say? We caught wind of it when it appeared in the papers and Francis and Antonio went to check it out to see if it was really them since they were originally in Arthur's pack and still feel something for him despite his actions." Gilbert shrugged. He was the only one who appeared at ease. "Once we learnt that Ludwig had us all split up to seek out the packs before he went to Siberia with Feliciano to find Ivan. He sent us to you, Antonio and Lovino to Sadiq in Istanbul, Vash and Lillie to Yao in Tokyo, Francis is currently looking for Jett in Brisbane with Michelle and Lars and Femke went after Alfred somewhere in Wyoming."

"And you immediately thought 'hellhound' and realised you needed to gather everyone? And we're meant to believe you left your territory unguarded like that? How do we know this isn't a trap?" Lukas accused, eyes narrowed. Emil nodded, looking just as suspicious.

"We thought of hellhounds because Antonio is one of the few wolves who has encountered one before. He was in South America when the packs down there were decimated by one before the hellhound in question was taken down by the local vampire coven to prevent the humans finding out about our world. We can't prove that this isn't a trap but would you like to risk it?" Elizaveta explained.

"Do ya know where Arthur is?" Berwald asked slowly. He was being careful to make sure his words were easily understood Tino realised as he picked up on his frustration.

"If we knew we would have gone after him already, our pack is hardly small after all." Roderich offered. "Now will your presence be at the meeting or not? We'd like to start heading home."

Matthias sighed glancing at each of his pack mates' faces before nodding. "We'll be there but you can tell Ludwig that if there's any treachery we will not hold back. You'd do well to remind him that his mate his hardly a fighter no matter how strong Ludwig is."

Gilbert's eyes narrowed at the threat, gaze moving over to Tino. "I shall, but the same can apply to you so I'd think before you threaten my pack again…" he warned.

.o.)O(.o.

The threat was a persistent thought in everyone's mind as the days approaching the meeting passed and the main focus seemed to be ensuring that Tino would be able to hold his own if it came down to a fight. As the newest and least experienced member of the pack he would find himself a target if it was a trap.

They were quite relieved to find that the Finn was surprisingly good with a gun even if he wasn't the best at hand to hand (or rather paw to paw) combat. A normal bullet might not kill a werewolf but it would certainly slow one down.

No-one was looking forward to the meeting though and stress levels were high. Lukas's arguments with Matthias went from being small verbal disagreements to flat out fights. Matthias and Berwald were no better and a day that didn't end in anything being broken by the pair was classed as a good day. Lukas and Emil, although appearing as close as brothers, had even gotten into one or two brawls. Even Tino found himself occasionally snapping at the others due to his anxiety.

When the time came to finally catch a flight to Berlin all of the petty fights were forgotten as they realised what they stood to lose if their fears proved correct. There were no arguments, no punches and no insults instead Tino accepted all of Berwald's attention and even Lukas found himself hugging his mate around the middle. Matthias was quick to enfold them all into a group hug that no-one scolded or pushed him away for as well.

Their smiles and jokes didn't quite reach their eyes though as they looked down on the city scape below them though. No matter how at ease they acted there was always a nervous stiffness in their posture and wariness in their tread.

They weren't the only wolves to have walked the airport they soon realised. The scent of other werewolves was still present in the air, more different scents than what seemed possible. At least a dozen wolves had been there in the past few hours.

Tino shivered slightly as he picked up on the sheer number of strange wolves, instinctively pressing closer to Berwald. The swede was glancing around warily with a stern expression as he wrapped an arm around the Finn to show anyone watching just who he belonged to. "Where's the meeting?" Tino asked, feeling Berwald relax slightly.

"Some hot'l." the tall blonde mumbled. They were sticking close to the other three, all keeping an eye on their surroundings to ensure they weren't taken by surprise. They didn't expect anything to happen in public like this but one couldn't be too cautious.

Matthias nodded at Berwald's comment. "Yeah, it's not far from here thankfully…" he mused. Lukas flinched, biting back a growl when a bird flew out from some bushes and caught him by surprise before relaxing.

It was going to be a long walk…

.o.)O(.o.

The hotel that had been rented out for the meeting was large. It appeared that Ludwig had spared no expense as most of the rooms had been booked for the various wolves and packs to stay in without having to get too close to the other wolves or risk exposure to humans. Other than the hotel staff there wasn't a single human in sight.

Werewolves however were everywhere.

Tino flinched as he caught sight of a slim, tanned wolf cursing and cowering behind a larger tanned wolf after coming across a confident dark-skinned man in a mask. He had to think back to the pictures he'd been shown of the different packs to remember who they were. Lovino and his mate Antonio, the leader of the Mediterranean pack. The other wolf was obviously Sadiq, alpha of the Ottoman pack.

None of them paid the Nordics any attention thankfully, allowing them to pass unhindered. Most of the other wolves also acted the same with the exception of a large violet eyed man who paid Tino a little too much attention and only backed down when both Berwald and Matthias glowered in his direction. Something about his demeanour made it seem as though he had won the stare down rather than retreated. It didn't take much guess work to realise that he had to be Ivan.

With the exception of the large Russian, it didn't seem as if Tino's first glimpse of the other wolves was going too badly at all. In fact they seemed almost civil for the time being.

Of course if this peace lasted he'd be surprised…

**A/N2: okay, the different packs!**

**Nordics: Matthias (alpha), Berwald (beta), Lukas, Emil and Tino**

**Eastern Europe: Ludwig (alpha), Gilbert (beta), Elizaveta, Roderich, Vash, Feliciano and Lillie**

**Mediterranean (closely affiliated to the Eastern Europe pack to the point where they're considered the same): Antonio (alpha), Francis (beta), Lars, Femke, Michelle and Lovino**

**Eurasian: Ivan (alpha), Natalia (beta), Katyusha, Eduard, Toris, Raivis and Feliks**

**Ottoman: Sadiq (alpha), Heracles (beta) and Gupta**

**Asian: Yao (alpha), Kiku (beta), Mei, Lien, Kaoru and Yong Soo**

**American: Alfred (alpha), Matthew (beta) and Carlos**

**Australasian: Jett (alpha) and James (beta)**

**UK: Arthur (alpha), Scottie (beta), Rhys, Seamus and Peter**

**Hopefully I didn't forget anyone… I'll explain the pairings if anyone wants them but I can't be bothered to write them out now! Same if you don't know some of the countries since I had to use common names for the unnamed countries… just review and ask me!**

**Review reply:**

**Keiron: ja, that does save time! Yep, lots of introductions now :) and I think the main reason for Tino not noticing gilbert's five meters was Elizaveta, after all, he hasn't had to deal with female nudity at all :) and apparently it's before new year! Happy New Year!**

**See you all next year! Happy New Year!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I just realised that this story will probably be my longest yet considering the main drama has yet to happen :) this chapter goes out to Keiron who gave me this idea!**

**It's getting close to 100 reviews so I should probably put this out there now: 100****th**** reviewer wins a one-shot as per my tradition!**

_And it's an eye for eye_

_Tooth for tooth_

_It's a lie_

_That's the truth_

_See a blind man on the street_

_Looking for something free_

_Hear the kind man ask his friends_

_Hey what's in it for me?_

_Hey hey hey_

_Every dog has its day_

_Its dog eat dog_

_Dog eat dog_

_Dog eat Dog- AC DC_

Joo, it had been too much to hope that things would remain civil Tino realised as he looked at the blur of fur and fangs that had previously been Berwald and a slight Belarusian wolf named Natalia. Ivan was also watching the brawl, head tilted like a small child. The Finn just couldn't help but think about how he seemed to attract trouble…

They'd been settling in to their rooms as calmly as they could while in a hotel housing thirty nine wolves including themselves before Tino had felt thirsty and had wandered off in search of vending machine or water fountain. Sure, he could have called for food service but he hadn't actually considered that at the time…

As luck would have it he had ended up running into Ivan instead of a vending machine.

"Tino da?" he asked, a childish smile on his face. Tino gulped, Adams apple bobbing slightly in his throat. He was unable to avoid noticing the fact that there was no-one around but them. What he would have given for a large and intimidating Swede at that point…

"J-joo, I'm Tino. But you already guessed that!" he mumbled nervously, eyes darting around to try and locate an escape route. "Ivan right? I recognised you from a photo I have of you. Hahaha… that sounds stalkerish… you look bigger than your photo… Oh god! Not fat though! I didn't mean it like that!"

If Ivan was insulted he didn't show it, continuing to smile like a small child despite the dark aura around him. "Da I am, you're funny aren't you? And cheerful. It's rather annoying actually."

Tino gave a soft squeak at the other's words. If he'd considered Berwald scary than Ivan was absolutely terrifying. His squeak of fear only intensified when he tried backing up only to feel cold and sharp steel pressed against the small of his back.

"Leave him alone. He's mine…" a female voice hissed. She sounded small but judging by the look of absolute terror on Ivan's face she was the bigger threat. Tino already found Ivan the scariest thing he'd ever come across so he didn't really want to know what could be worse than the Russian.

"Ha…ha… Come now Natalia, I was just talking to him da? And Katyusha will be upset if she finds out you're after me again da?" the Russian asked nervously, edging away from the woman who was still pressing a knife to the Finn's back.

If either of them were going to continue further they never got a chance to as they were interrupted by a furious snarl. Next thing Tino knew the knife was gone, replaced by the soft brush of fur before the large wolf moved beyond the Finn.

Berwald was growling, fur bristling as he glared at Natalia who was shifting before their eyes. The she wolf was surprisingly dark in colour in comparison to her human self's pale complexion. Her knife had been cast aside by the Swedish wolf's lunge.

They stood there snarling for a moment before Natalia took another step towards Tino and made Berwald snap his jaws with an audible click and leap forward, bowling the almost black wolf over. She didn't go down like Tino was expecting, instead she twisted to ensure she landed upright and came rushing into towards the larger wolf with bared fangs. The Swedish wolf may have easily been twice the black she wolf's size and weight but what Natalia lacked in strength she made up for with speed and sheer determination.

Tino could barely look away from the savage fight, partly out of fear for himself and partly out of fear for Berwald. Granted the massive wolf gave what he got but neither of them were holding back. He'd thought that the fights between the swede and Matthias had been vicious but they had nothing on this fight.

He was taken by surprise when Natalia suddenly paused in her merciless snapping and clawing, glancing towards where Ivan had been with narrowed eyes. Tino followed her gaze and frowned when he realised that the Russian had managed to escape during the confusion.

The Belarusian growled, pulling away from the fray with one last snap and a shake of her coat before darting off after her alpha. The Finn breathed a sigh of relief, moving towards Berwald to examine his wounds. The swede was still growling in Natalia's direction but quietened at Tino's touch.

He shifted after sharing a glance with the other's purple eyes, his fur and skin changing beneath Tino's fingers. The wounds looked even worse when they weren't covered by a thick layer of silver fur. These weren't the shallow grazes that followed a brawl with Matthias and were healed by the time the day was done; these were deep enough to reveal torn muscle and even bone. Blood coated his skin around each of the wounds.

Tino swore when he gazed at them making Berwald raise an eyebrow slightly. "We should get you to the others… those look bad…" he murmured.

The swede shrugged, not looking overly concerned. "Had w'rse…" he mumbled though he didn't protest when Tino grabbed at the uninjured part of his arm to drag him back to their rooms. The Nordic pack had been given three rooms with several empty rooms separating them from the next pack. Berwald and Tino were currently sharing one, Lukas and Matthias another with Emil in the middle. The Finn completely passed their room and headed straight for the Norwegian's.

Lukas raised an eyebrow when he saw Berwald limping towards them and lacking clothing. "We've been here for less than an hour." He pointed out, shoving Matthias off a nearby chair to allow the swede to sit.

The Dane pouted at being pushed but didn't comment, instead chuckling at Berwald. "Yeah, I thought I was the impulsive and argumentative one!"

Lukas glared at him as he went to grab the first aid kit from their luggage. He'd ensured that he brought it along in case something like this happened (though he'd been expecting it to be Matthias and not Berwald). He cursed when it wasn't there. "Matthias make yourself useful and check with Emil and see if he has the first aid kit. It must be in his bag…"

The Dane nodded, not contesting his mate as he walked from the room to go next door. He came back with Emil as well as the first aid kit. "What happened?" the Icelandic wolf asked, glancing at Berwald.

The swede shrugged, "Nat'lia…"

Tino scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Ivan ambushed me when I went to get a drink… Hahaha… Natalia wasn't impressed apparently…"

Lukas rolled his eyes. "Only you would manage to get involved with two of the most dangerous wolves in the world…" he grumbled, searching through the first aid kit for a needle and thread once he'd grabbed some rubbing alcohol. "Even Matthias has the sense to give them a wide berth."

He spared Berwald a glance once he'd threaded the needle and soaked some cotton wool in the alcohol. "Hold still, this will probably hurt but I'll do it as quickly as possible." He ordered.

**A/N2: "probably hurt": the understatement of the century…**

**Something tells me that Berwald won't let Tino out of his sight for a while…**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: congrats on inspiring the chapter :D that was fun to write! Feliks is Poland, Toris is Lithuania, Jett is the name I picked for Australia (I decided against Bruce which was also a fairly common choice since Bruce is more a general term for a man in Australia) while James is New Zealand (more likely than not he'll be referred to as Kiwi a lot since that's the nickname Jett gave him). Those two seemed to be popular names in the fandom which is why I chose them. Don't worry about the tangents and stuff! Thanks for the review!**

**And since I posted this earlier than planned, happy New Year's! Unless I do the same thing yet again and post before 2012 is over…**

**And in other news, I now own a shirt with an American eagle on it :) complete with faint stars and stripes under it :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I've come to love Iron Maiden! Their songs are awesome! They all have historical or religious undertones which makes them interesting.**

**Enjoy some scary Ludwig, disconcerting Matthias and some pessimistic Emil!**

**And happy New Year folks! Here's hoping 2013 is awesome! As of now it is officially 2013 in Queensland, Australia!**

**Remember- 100****th**** reviewer gets a one shot of their choice! Any pairing and genre!**

_A wolf in sheep's clothing_

_Or saintly or sinner_

_Or some would believe_

_A holy war winner_

_They fire off many shots_

_And many parting blows_

_Their actions beyond a reasoning_

_Only god would know_

_For the greater good of god- Iron Maiden_

"You are acting like a pack of rabid dogs! We've been here for less than forty eight hours and there's already been not one, not two but THREE fights! Are you trying to let the humans in on what we are?" Ludwig snarled, glaring at the gathered werewolves. His furious gaze was clearly directed at Berwald, Natalia, Antonio, Sadiq, Ivan and his own brother.

They were all seated in the penthouse dining room which had been adapted into a make shift board room for the meeting. The close proximity to one another though wasn't helping the situation, making it more likely for yet another argument to break out. Berwald was glaring at Ivan's pack so fiercely that it made Tino shiver.

It was already blindingly obvious that getting along was more or less out of the question. Sadiq and Antonio had already broken into a fight when the Spaniard had enough of the Turk sniffing around his mate. No-one was sure what the reason behind Ivan and Gilbert's brawl had been but the result had been several broken pieces of furniture.

Ludwig continued scowling as everyone in the hall quietened and ceased baring their teeth at their neighbours sheepishly. "Danke, now how about we get along for a bit and try to solve this crisis? Or have you all forgotten that we have at least one hell hound running around?"

"Dude, all we need to do is come up with an epic plan to trap it! I can lead it!" Alfred, the American alpha Tino remembered, offered. He seemed keen on the plan, already running off on a monologue that seemed to involve either a super hero or a giant robot.

A less in-your-face blonde sitting beside him (Mason? Matthew? Tino couldn't remember) seemed to be trying to shut him up but his protests went unheard as the meeting descended into chaos.

"That's stupid! We should just go in there and bash it with a pipe da?"

"Ve~ what about giving it pasta? I'm sure it wouldn't kill us if we made it pasta!"

"Stupid Europeans aru… we'll never sort this out at this rate!"

"Hahaha! We could always send it to Australia if you don't like my other idea!"

"What the hell mate? Kiwi and I live there! Take it to your own damn country why don't ya?!"

"Don't be ridiculous, there are only kangaroos there!"

Lukas sighed, glancing at his pack mates in frustration. "We'll be here all day if this keeps up…" he grumbled as Jett and Alfred got into verbal fight that their betas were trying to dissuade. Arguments were forming everywhere and Tino was surprised that the police had yet to be called over the noise.

Matthias nodded, leaning back in his chair. "What can we do about it though? It's not like we have anything to add…"

The Norwegian rolled his eyes, "you maybe. I suspect I'm the only one here who knows anything about these damn things." He commented dryly. The Nordic pack all ducked slightly as a chair went flying, unsure of who had thrown it.

"Why don't you say something then?" Tino asked, trying to hide behind Berwald after weighing up whether it was better to continue avoiding more interaction than necessary (which he was failing at…) and be squished by more flying furniture or to use the large swede as protection.

"You really think they'd listen to me?" Lukas asked with a raised eyebrow as he gestured to the chaos. Already three people had chosen lupine form over human and two people (the Vargas's by the looks of it) were hiding under the table.

Matthias frowned, glancing around the room curiously before his eyes sparked with inspiration. "Give me half a minute!" he offered, jumping from his seat to grab an ornamental axe from the wall.

Everyone froze as the axe buried itself in the table and the Dane sniffed. "Huh, could have done that better… pity it wasn't sharper" he commented, yanking the heavy blade free from the splintered mahogany after examining his handiwork.

He balanced the weapon across his shoulders as everyone sat down and shut up, Jett, Alfred and Gilbert sans clothes. "Now that I have your attention my mate has something to say." He explained when he was sure he had everyone's attention, sitting down as though he hadn't just attempted to split the table in two.

Lukas rolled his eyes at his mate's arrogance but stood up regardless. "Now that I have your attention… tell me, how many of you know anything about hell hounds?" he accused.

The silence was so still that they could have heard a pin drop. Antonio half raised a hand before shaking his head, although he'd caught the scent of one and seen the devastation they caused he had never actually looked into what they were.

The Norwegian nodded, "exactly. I on the other hand do. I've played around with magic before; I know what lies on the other side. Arthur knew more but he's not here is he?"

No-one contested him, surprising them all. He had everyone's full attention without them yelling out ridiculous solutions.

"Now listen here. Hell hounds aren't things you can trifle with. Vampires used to use them as guard dogs for crying out loud! They're smart and vicious killing machines and like a werewolf their bite is infectious. A bite from a hell hound leaves the victim open to possession from another one of its kind."

"They don't go down without a fight and as far as I'm aware there is no way to expel one from its host once it takes root. Maybe Arthur knew how but I don't. And I don't plan on risking my hide, or the hides of my pack on a 'maybe'." He growled. All around him everyone's eyes went to their mates and pack.

"So what do we do?" a stoic Asian wolf asked, glancing at Yao momentarily. Tino recognised him as Kiku, the beta of the Asian pack.

"We put a silver bullet in its damn forehead." Lukas stated. "We hunt it down and put an end to it."

.o.)O(.o.

"Norge, you're brilliant! You had them eating right out of the palm of your hand!" Matthias complemented, clapping his mate on the back with the hand that wasn't clutching at a beer. Lukas merely shrugged, a slight satisfied smirk gracing his features.

Everyone had retired to the bar after the meeting to drink the rest of the night away after a surprisingly successful planning session. Not only had they managed to organise the weaponry required to take down a hell hound since silver bullets were surprisingly hard to come by but even sorted out who would search where and with whom. The smaller packs had been the worrisome problem there and had thus been paired up together.

The plan was for them all to start in London and radiate outwards to try and find the trail.

The meeting also seemed to have calmed some of the tension between packs as well and despite the bad track record thus far no other fights had sprung out. Some wolves were still showing a marked interest in others but it was no longer treated with aggression.

Tino smiled as he looked at the change around him, sipping on his vodka as he laughed at Ivan who was currently bothering Yao who seemed to be blushing heavily. They weren't the only one's mingling between packs seeing as Gilbert had managed to corner Alfred's beta whose name slipped the Finn's mind.

Emil also seemed to have picked up on the mingling as well as the smiles and laughs of those with their mates. He didn't have the same smile as Tino though (who was inadvertently leaning against Berwald) instead he had the smallest of frowns on his features.

His thoughts may have gone unnoticed by both Matthias and Tino (Lukas was busy swatting at the Danes shoulder and grumbling about inappropriate actions so he couldn't be sure on whether he knew or not) but Berwald seemed to notice.

"J'st talk ta one 'f them then." He offered as Emil sighed, eyes following his gaze. "If G'lbert 'nd Iv'n can find their m'tes in this mess why can't ya?"

The Icelandic wolf shook his pale head. "They all already have mates Berwald. If my mate was here like it was for Ivan and Gilbert I think I'd know." He explained softly, motioning to the distant bar tender for another drink.

"Make it two, and it's on me." A voice piqued up from behind them.

**A/N2: and this is why you shouldn't be so pessimistic Emil, and as for who this mysterious stranger is… well, you'll find out next chapter :) though it is a bit obvious…**

**One has to wonder what the hotel staff are going to think of this all though. Wolf hair everywhere, broken furniture, blood stains… poor confused bastards. They'll think there's a dog fighting ring or something…**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: glad you liked it! Thanks again for the idea, it was epic! Hope your friend wasn't too jealous! Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: by all accounts I should be going to bed seeing as how I was up till one last night and it's already ten here and I've already written one thing today… but since you guys just gave me nine reviews (edit: 10, got one just now) and helped me break one hundred (congrats to Lily Lewis, I hope you enjoyed your one-shot!) I say what the hell, I've got insomnia anyway! Might as well make some use of it :)**

**I'll put the song translation at the bottom since this one's in Afrikaans (my second language)**

**Prepare for some major angst.**

_O daar's 'n ster wat skyn hy vang my oog_

_Ja daar's 'n ster wat skyn die ster is hoog_

_Hy was nog altyd daar hy sal nog altyd skyn_

_Maar more kom die en my ster verdwyn_

_Nou loop ek in die strate en huil huil huil_

_Toe loop ek deur die modder ek's vuil vuil vuil_

_Buite waai die windjie waar die honde huil_

_Waai my weg sy maak my mal_

_Alleen leen leen- Kurt Darren_

The gun felt strange in Tino's hand as he practiced his sharp shooting. They were due to leave for London in twenty four hours and a lot of people were putting in some last minute practice. He pulled the trigger twice in succession, watching as a pair of neat holes formed in the target. One was in the head, the other the heart.

It was weird to find something he was good at like this but he wondered if it would be of any use in the real world. Sure, he could hit a motionless target now but what about a moving one? One with a human face?

He sighed, discharging another shot (which hit with unerring accuracy) before holstering the weapon. Berwald was sitting on one of the benches to keep an eye on him and raised an eyebrow at his mate's actions. "Ya done?" he asked as Tino's gaze moved over to where Ludwig was training Feliciano.

The Finn could sense the German's worry over his mate and when he saw just how bad the Italian was at shooting he could understand. He supposed that Berwald felt the same way about him even though he could at least shoot a gun accurately. There was a part of him, a part he didn't want to admit to, that felt the same about the swede.

"Joo, I'm done. Can we get back to the others?" he asked softly as he left the gun at the counter. Vash had organised guns and silver bullets for them in London to make transporting weaponry less of a problem so the only way to practice was by borrowing guns from the Eastern Europe pack to use at the range.

Berwald nodded, falling in step beside his smaller mate. "Ah think they're still fightin'…" he murmured making Tino sigh.

"Of course they are…"

Matthias had been arguing with Yao for three hours straight now. Ever since Kaoru had bought Emil that drink at the bar the pair had been all but inseparable. This of course led to the problem with Yao since he refused to let boy from Hong Kong go with the Nordics whilst Matthias refused to let Emil go with the Asians. Nor were they keen to join forces when doing so would mean bowing to Ivan.

There had been strife between Ludwig and Alfred as well over Matthew and Gilbert seeing as, unlike Yao and Ivan who were both alphas and could join their packs together much like Antonio and the German had, there was no way to join the packs easily.

The last time Tino had checked it appeared that Matthias was winning the argument seeing as the Asian pack already outnumbered the Nordic one without them even considering the Eurasian pack and thus losing a pack member would prove problematic. Of course anything could have happened over the past hour.

Strangely enough when they arrived back the argument seemed to have ceased. Yao was pouting as he re-tied his hair with a wince whilst Matthias was grinning broadly despite several scratches across his face. Lukas seemed caught between relief and irritation as he gazed at the two alphas.

"Fine aru. So be it." The Chinese man spat before limping from the room. Now that Tino looked he realised that the room was a mess, blood spatters were everywhere along with fur and damaged furniture.

Berwald sighed as he allowed Yao to pass, casting his gaze over to his alpha. "What h'ppened?"

The Dane shrugged. "We fought for it and I won. Emil and Kaoru are staying with us." He grinned before wincing as Lukas poked at one of his deeper scratches.

"That'll need stitches…" he mused as Emil and Kaoru came into the room. The Icelandic boy seemed relieved by the outcome whilst his mate seemed slightly saddened but also determined.

"How'd ya beat h'm?" Berwald asked with a raised eyebrow. It was well known that Yao was a capable fighter which was why he'd managed to hold his own against the Eurasian's since the golden era.

"Yao would beat him as a human but as a wolf Matthias has the advantage. This idiot doesn't think before he acts which threw him off completely." Lukas explained, tenderly starting to patch his mate up.

Tino nodded, quite relieved that Emil was still with them. He had yet to get to know Kaoru beyond name basis but he'd gladly do so (it wasn't as if he was unfriendly, quite the opposite) in return for the Icelandic wolf remaining his pack mate.

.o.)O(.o.

The day passed quickly after that, all the packs resting up and spending a few moments with their loved ones before the chaos they were sure would follow. Lukas dropped his apathetic attitude in favour of leaning against Matthias in companionable silence whilst Emil and Kaoru retired to the Icelandic wolf's room for some alone time.

Tino wasn't sure what to do or how to act. He wanted to hug Berwald and never let him go but he couldn't. No matter how much that part of him wanted to it couldn't overcome his refusal to admit that he cared deeply for the swede.

The large blonde seemed to understand at least, giving the Finn space for once. He remained close though, his eyes always on the smaller boy's form.

They were both aware of the risks of what was to come along with the risks of not going through with it. They were caught with no options but one that could mean death for either one of them and that realisation made Tino want to burst into tears.

He thought of Hanatamago who was currently in a kennel back in Norway.

He thought of Matthias's boisterous laughter.

He thought of Lukas and his distant way of caring for his pack.

He thought of Emil, both the stoic boy he was and the playful wolf he could be.

He thought of Kaoru who he had yet to get to know.

And he thought of Berwald. He thought of how much he cared for the silent but loving man. He thought of his whispered words all those days ago.

_Jag älskar dig… _

He wanted to reply to them. To say the words that his heart told him would never be enough to cover how he felt.

And as he thought of each of those precious things he cursed himself and his inability to say how he felt. He cursed his pride and his leaden tongue as he bit back tears, because he knew that the minute he shed one Berwald would be there with his arms around him.

Just three little words, more meaningful than anything else he could ever say. But he couldn't get them past his lips.

_I love you Berwald, minä rakastan sinua_

**A/N2: …so many feels… I feel bad…**

**Translations first, then review replies I think… for the record, Google translate butchers Afrikaans. Parts of it make no sense on there! Thank god I'm almost fluent (Afrikaners speak too quickly for me to understand them and I stumble over some of the pronunciations but I can read it fluently.)**

**Translations:**

**Minä rakastan sinua- I love you (Finnish)**

**O daar's 'n ster wat skyn hy vang my oog**

**Ja daar's 'n ster wat skyn die ster is hoog**

**Hy was nog altyd daar hy sal nog altyd skyn**

**Maar more kom die en my ster verdwyn**

**Nou loop ek in die strate en huil huil huil**

**Toe loop ek deur die modder ek's vuil vuil vuil**

**Buite waai die windjie waar die honde huil**

**Waai my weg sy maak my mal**

**Oh there's a star that shines and catches my eye**

**Yes there's a star that shines, that star is high**

**He was always there, he'll always shine**

**But come tomorrow and my star will disappear**

**Now I walk in the streets and cry, cry, cry**

**When I walk through the mud I'm dirty, dirty, dirty**

**Outside where the dogs howl the breeze blows**

**She makes me crazy, Blow me away **

**(Afrikaans)**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: no worries, it was Hong Kong :) glad you liked it! Ja, poor Matthew. He always does his best but no-one pays him any attention. Alfred's race across Europe is a classic case of him not listening to his Beta :) thanks for the review!**

**Now I think I need sleep… it's almost midnight…**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: and we're back to English music (unless you count the author's horrendous singing along to 'kaptein (span die seile)', 'impi' and 'Zithande'). And for the record, hand feeding puffer fish is surprisingly fun! They're so cute~**

**Humorous chapter for a change :)**

_Freedom or death, nothing left to do but fill it up_

_Triple X eyes of lust and you need to give it up_

_Live it up sucker cause they're saying my days are numbered_

_Who wants to live long anyway?_

_I'm going out with a blast_

_Getting some ass, smoking grass and leaving all my cash for my little boy_

_You wouldn't understand, you don't know where I come from_

_Hey yeah yeah_

_Cause I'm a dog baby_

_See me ride across the country_

_I'm a dog bitch_

_Big suitcase full of money_

_I'm a dog mamma_

_And I'm rolling El Camino_

_I'm a dog_

_I'm a dog- Kid rock_

The flight to London seemed to take minutes rather than hours. It was surprisingly quite when one thought of just how many werewolves were on board.

But the hours passed without mishap and just when it seemed like they had only just boarded in Berlin they were disembarking in Heathrow. The sky was grey and overcast when they walked outside, making those from warmer climates scowl and complain.

Tino didn't react to the cold and miserable weather though, just pulled his jacket around him tighter as he stood with Berwald and the others. Matthias was speaking to Ludwig and Vash with the other alphas nearby. The Finn watched curiously as the Dane nodded, writing down something on a scrap of paper before returning to the others.

"I got the address of the guy holding the guns for us." The tall blonde explained, holding the torn page tightly. "We'll go there and one other stop before heading north for oxford. I've got the others numbers if we catch scent of anything." He sounded slightly hesitant as he spoke which made Lukas frown.

"What's the other stop?" he asked warily.

Matthias laughed nervously, tugging at his shirt collar. "You might not like it Norge…"

Everyone was frowning now, staring at the uncomfortable Dane.

"Why do I get a feeling none of us will like this?" Kaoru asked with a sigh.

.o.)O(.o.

"A pet store? Explain before I beat some sense into you, you idiot!" Lukas snapped. He had his hands crossed against his chest as he glared at his mate. The others were slightly more patient but all were confused.

Matthias scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It was Antonio's idea, it'll be easier to track Arthur as wolves and this is the only way to do so without getting shot as wild animals…"

"…you want us to impersonate dogs?" Emil asked slowly, making sure he'd got the idea right.

"Not everyone! Berwald and I are a bit too big to pass as dogs… one or two of you guys though… you could always take it in turns?"

"I am not letting you put a god damn collar and leash on me!" Lukas shouted, drawing some curious glances from passing strangers. They remained silent until the worried glances vanished before continuing to speak in hushed tones.

"Please Norge? It's the only way…" Matthias begged. "I don't want people to freak out over you…"

Lukas sighed, glancing at the other three who would have to go through the same process. "what do you think about this?" he growled.

Tino shrugged after looking at Berwald momentarily. "If we must I'm okay with it."

Emil and Kaoru both nodded making Lukas scowl.

"Fine. But I'm picking out my collar and leash. You have no say in it!" he spat in Matthias's direction before storming into the small store.

Thankfully they had a large range of collars in a variety of styles to choose from so they were able to get ones that were slightly less mortifying. Matthias appeared to be ignoring Lukas's order and was holding up several studded collars ecstatically much to the Norwegian's displeasure.

"What 're ya thinkin' of gettin'?" Berwald asked softly making Tino jump. He'd been so focussed on watching Lukas hit Matthias's shoulder that he hadn't heard the swede's approach.

He smiled once he'd calmed his heart rate, holding up a black leather collar with a heart embroidered in a tribal pattern with red thread on the back. "What do you think?" he asked, checking the size to make sure that it would fit.

"Looks n'ce." The tall blonde murmured. He wasn't sure how else to respond to being asked his opinion on a collar that his mate would be wearing even if it was as a wolf.

Tino nodded, grabbing a red material leash to go with it. "Joo, I think I'll take these two." He decided before heading to the counter with Berwald to pay. Emil and Kaoru had already selected their items, the Icelandic wolf examining a purple collar that matched his eyes and his Asian mate holding onto a red version. Lukas appeared to have decided on a plain brown leather collar and lead (sans studs much to Matthias's disappointment).

The clerk behind the counter raised an eyebrow at the four items. "How many dogs do you guys have? Such big ones as well… I'm amazed you guys can manage…"

Lukas just rolled his eyes. "Trust me, you have no idea…" he commented dryly as he grabbed the bag.

He was still grumbling as he exited the store at his mate's side, quickly handing each of his pack mates their purchase. Tino nodded as he held onto his.

"So how do we do this?" he asked, slipping the object into his back pack as the others did the same. He could feel the cold metal of his gun in there as he withdrew his hand.

Matthias shrugged, draping an arm around his mate's shoulders as he ignored the answering murderous glare. "Find somewhere quiet and draw straws I guess…" he mused.

In the end they chose to flip a coin in the shadows of an alley. Heads would mean Kaoru and Emil went first and tails for Lukas and Tino. There wasn't much cover aside from a large dumpster so they were all on edge as they watched the coin's journey in the air before Matthias snagged it and showed it to the gathered wolves. "Tails, Tino and Lukas? You're up!"

The Norwegian sighed, glancing at everyone as he stalked behind the dumpster. "Tino you might want to wait until I'm done… it'll be too risky otherwise." He commented before glaring at the Dane. "You guys keep watch and make sure you put my clothes in one of the bags. I refuse to be stuck without clothes because of your idiocy!"

He didn't complain further, stripping and holding his clothes and hair pin out to Matthias so they wouldn't get dirty before shifting. He shook his fur out and stretched once done, walking towards his mate and sitting at his feet after casting a glance towards Tino. The Dane was chuckling as he grabbed the collar his mate had chosen, making several crude comments.

The Finn nodded, moving to do the same as the Norwegian had. He had to bite back a laugh as he started stripping though when Matthias started talking to Lukas in the same manner as one would do a puppy as he put his collar on and immediately found his hand clenched between powerful jaws as the dark wolf snarled.

He couldn't remain nude though and was quick to change once he'd given his clothes to Berwald who was staring at him intently. Once in lupine form he bounded over to the swede to have the collar he'd bought slipped around his neck.

_Why the hell are you so cheerful about this? _Lukas asked, soft growls still spilling from his jaws as his mate nursed his bleeding hand with a curse.

Tino cocked his head in response. The collar felt strange, slightly constricting and heavy but otherwise not too bad. _It's not that bad… and it is necessary after least no-one will shoot us. _He offered as the leash was clipped on. He glanced up at Berwald for guidance on what to do next.

The swede nodded, looking to Matthias who started covering the ground with long strides as Lukas started bounding away. The Norwegian was evidently trying to pull him off his feet to get revenge for his earlier treatment. Tino sighed, walking at a far more relaxed pace at his mate's side while the Dane was shouting and begging his mate to slow down.

People were rapidly making way for the wolves; some asking Berwald about the breed of the pair and their names since Matthias was still being dragged along at a break neck pace and was thus incapable of answering. The swede had to pause and think before answering, unsure of what to tell them as Tino stood at his side and scented the ground and air for any trace of their quarry.

The Finn was sorting out the multitude of scents when he eventually answered. "…they're h'skies. This one's F'nn 'nd th' other's N'rge." He offered as the wolf beside him paused and looked up at him with a curious whine that earned a series of 'aws' from the bystanders. He could understand Norge since that was the name Matthias was screaming at the top of his lungs but Finn?

He got no answer to his whine so started tugging on the leash impatiently. The others were already out of sight, Emil and Kaoru having decided to jog after the other two to ensure that Lukas didn't run into traffic or knock his mate into a light post.

When they finally shook off the curious admirers (some of whom took to asking if they could please pet Berwald's dog or asking if it wouldn't be better to neuter the pair to make them less likely to stray and father litters of unwanted puppies much to Tino's horror) it appeared that Lukas had decided he'd tormented his mate enough. The dark wolf was standing docilely at Matthias's side; the Dane was panting heavily much to Lukas's obvious amusement.

The pair of wolves walked in a calm manner after that even if the Norwegian was holding his tail high with pride. _Was that really necessary? _Tino asked, trotting beside the other contently.

Lukas snorted. _He needed to be put in his place… _he grumbled. _Besides, it's unlikely Arthur's still in the area and any scents he left would have dissipated by now no. no, he's long gone by now we'll have a better chance of finding him in other cities or towns. _He mused.

The Finn nodded, gazing into the distance thoughtfully. _What if we do find him? What then?_

The Norwegian sighed, glancing at the other nervously. _I don't know Tino, I don't know…_

**A/N2: The collar Tino chose is actually the same one my dog wears. My step brother says it makes him seem girly but to be fair the dog himself couldn't get any girlier! He's a funny dog though :) very cute even if he is on the wussy side.**

**And I think Lukas taught Matthias a lesson :)**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: yep, tons of angst! Hope this chapter made up for all the depressing thoughts last chapter :) managed to get some sleep thanks to a day at the beach yesterday so I'll have to see about today. Though I've got a splinter in my foot which is bugging the hell out of me and might make that impossible… thanks for the review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: and my obsession with this fic has gone to a new low… dreams about werewolves is one thing, it's not the first time I've taken the form of a red wolf in a dream/meditation after all even if it was my first time being a shape shifter rather than just a wolf. Dreams about fictional characters are also one thing, been there, done that.**

**Dreams in which I'm hunted down by my own pack of shape shifters (first with a pair of dogs, then a massive black wolf and then as a frikking velocirapter standing on my porch… I mean c'mon! Red wolves are already smaller than their grey cousins! What's with the overkill?)…and a puffin flies over my house whilst doing several flips before turning into Emil in nothing but a blue and sparkly thong to warn me of said shape shifters however…**

**Ugh… I need brain bleach… some things cannot be unseen…**

**And question. What the hell do they call 4x4's in Europe? I know them as bakkies, in Australia they're utes and I know that in America they're trucks (is that right?) but what in blazes are they in Europe? **

**Nikolas is Bulgaria, the one character I managed to forget…**

_Invisible transfers, long distance calls_

_Hollow laughter in marble halls_

_Steps have been taken, a silent uproar_

_Has unleashed the dogs of war_

_You can't stop what has begun_

_Signed, sealed they deliver oblivion_

_We all have a dark side, to say the least_

_And dealing in death is the nature of the beast_

_Dogs of war- Pink Floyd_

He could still remember the rich iron tang of blood on his tongue, the sensation making his mouth water. It had been too long since his last kill… he was hungry again…

The hell hound sighed, stretching his limbs as he sensed his host's disapproval of the idea at the back of his mind. Arthur's horror with each kill was almost as enjoyable as the kill itself. That moment when he'd torn the other pack apart and the British wolf's scream of rage that had filled his head had been one of the sweetest triumphs of his life.

He was limited to humans and animals now though… he hadn't scented another wolf in weeks. Hell, he wasn't even sure where he was anymore. He didn't exactly pay much attention.

Steal into town, take someone down, hide the remains and move on. It was an easy ritual to remember if not a boring one. Humans weren't much fun to hunt, they couldn't fight back. And as for animals, well they were laughable!

No, he wanted to taste wolf again. He wanted the thrill of the battle with one of the most powerful creatures on the planet and the sweet taste of fear when the werewolf realised it was out of its depth.

The hell hound smirked at Arthur's pain; his host was privy to every thought and every action even if he could do nought to fight it. It made the hunt so much sweeter in his opinion, the guilt and horror making every torn apart and ravaged victim enjoyable.

He sighed, scenting the air in boredom. There was nothing but the stench of humanity and sheep along with the more familiar scent of the other. The scent he longed for was still missing…

But soon, he told himself, soon they would come.

Soon he would feed.

.o.)O(.o.

"The packs are on the move." Nikolas stated, hanging up his cell phone with a deft flick of his wrist. Vlad nodded, eyes on the man that had been his partner and consort for over five centuries.

"You are certain?"

"Very. The vampires I sent to investigate at your request have all gotten back to me now. Every pack has gone to the united kingdom to hunt down the hell hound."

The older vampire smiled at the news. "Good. It won't be long before they are the ones bound to a miniscule amount of land… tell me dragul meu, where do you want to go first? Neither of us has left Romania in so long I've all but forgotten the taste of those who live elsewhere…"

The Bulgarian ignored the question for a moment. "You are certain the hell hounds are under our control?" he asked.

"Of course, for now I am content to merely let him and that pup of his roam but it is my blood that gave him life and it is my blood that will control him. You need not fear Nikolas, when the time comes he and all his get will do our bidding. So where do you want to go my love? I hear that Spain is beautiful this time of year." The Romanian assured.

.o.)O(.o.

"Damn it Matthias, this is the third town we've searched! When the hell are Emil and Kaoru going to take over? Or do you get some sick pleasure from me being on a leash?" Lukas snapped, the collar hanging loosely around his now human throat. They had paused in a field outside of town to try and locate a scent but it seemed that the Norwegian had had enough and shifted back once they were out of sight.

Tino couldn't blame him, he was starting to miss going around on two legs and Lukas when frustrated was hardly the best companion. Thankfully Matthias had hired a four by four so travelling as wolves wasn't too uncomfortable in the vehicular sense but it was wearing on their nerves. He glanced at Berwald with a sigh, waiting for the swede to remove his own collar so that he wouldn't have to change back with it on.

"Joo Matthias… can't we have a break for a bit?" he asked, grabbing his clothes from Berwald's bag to get dressed as the Norwegian yanked the collar off of himself and shoved it into the Dane's hands.

Matthias grinned guiltily, offering his mate his clothes as a peace offering. "Sure, I think that's fair." He said, taking the golden cross hair pin that Lukas never went without and slipping it into the dark blonde hair. "Emil? Kaoru? You two okay with taking over?" he asked once the Norwegian and Finn were dressed.

The pair nodded, starting to strip without question. They set their clothes on the ground to be placed in one of the bags as they started changing shape. Tino glanced at the Asian wolf curiously once he was done; he'd yet to see Kaoru's lupine form.

The dark haired boy had a wolf that was just as dark in colour, his fur sleek and black. He was slimmer and far more angular than the Nordic wolves who tended to be bulkier and thickly furred. Kaoru lightly licked his mate's ear before trotting towards Tino who had been packing his clothes away and had the bag with his collar in it.

The Finn nodded as he placed the red collar around the dark wolf's neck, Lukas was doing the same with Emil's purple collar. The two wolves were practically opposites in colouration when next to each other.

Matthias's cell phone rang before they could get on the move again and they had to wait and listen to the one sided conversation for several long moments. "No, no luck yet. We should be in Northampton in a few hours and we'll keep heading north after that. And you? I see… good luck, we'll talk later."

The Dane sighed as he hung up the phone. "That was Ludwig. No luck on his end or the others. He'll be in New forest soon. Ivan is just outside of Wales, Antonio's in Northern Ireland and searching there, Yao's near Stonehenge, Alfred, Sadiq and Jett are all in Ireland as well." He explained. "If nothing turns up they'll either head for the mainland or come north to help us."

Berwald nodded once he'd processed all the information. "We should get goin' then." He grunted as Tino clipped on Kaoru's leash.

All across the United Kingdom werewolves, both the wolves and the humans, raised steely and determined eyes and moved outwards in an attempt to track down their target. The hunt was on once more.

**A/N2: and we finally see Arthur and Vlad again! And ja, the vampires are conspiring against the wolves.**

**As of tomorrow this fic will be one month old!**

**Translations:**

**dragul meu: my love (Romanian)**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: ja, insomnia sucks… I'll probably take a sleeping tablet tonight to knock myself out. So did you dream of Tino in a dog collar? Can't have been worse than Emil in a thong *shiver* thanks for the review!**

**Please review while I watch my dog chase the flying foxes!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: damn I'm such a vindictive sod… for those of you who have been wondering where Sealand is he's in this chapter. Welcome to the point I've been working up to since chapter one! It's gonna have you screaming for my head…**

**At 20 chapters this is now my second longest story! One more chapter and it's the same length as Tainted.**

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me_

_No-one will ever change this animal I have become_

_Help me believe it's not the real me_

_Somebody help me tame this animal I have become_

_Animal I have become- three days grace_

It was several days later before they managed to find any sign of a trail. They were currently outside a small town in the Scottish highlands, protected from curious gazes by a small copse of trees and rocks off the road. The scent was faint but the sulphuric taint to the air and land had Lukas's hackles raised before Tino could be aware of what the scent meant. The Norwegian spat out the words that made the other's own fur rise along his neck and spine.

_Hell hound…_

The others picked up on the two wolves' anxiety, pausing in their complaints about the Scottish weather and how lucky everyone else was to be heading elsewhere across Europe. Matthias immediately crouched, hands digging deep into his mate's dark fur.

"Norge? Is it him?" he growled.

Lukas was still snarling softly as he glanced between the Dane and the Finnish wolf at his side. _Stay as you are Tino. The trail is faint but we can't take risks… I'll explain to the others and then we'll decide what to do._

Tino nodded hesitantly. _And if it's a trap? _

_If you get even the faintest idea of something being wrong I want you to bark or howl or something to warn us. Don't risk changing back; it'll take too long… _the Norwegian ordered. He didn't say anything further, shifting forms with his mate's hand still against his neck.

"Lukas? What is it?" Emil asked, staying close to Kaoru. His hand twitched towards the gun in his back pocket, a movement mimicked by Berwald and the Asian. Matthias was too preoccupied with his mate to do so as serious, dark blue eyes met his own.

"It's him. The trails faint but we need to be on our guard."

The Dane nodded, moving to finally grab his gun. "Kaoru, use my phone to get hold of the others. We might be too far away for them to help but we need to try. Tino, you're one of our best sharp-shooters, change-" he was interrupted as the wind changed course, making the Finn in question stiffen and tilt his head back to howl. The cry echoed hauntingly in the air until another voice, this one a stranger, joined it to the north.

Berwald cursed, gun in hand with the safety off as he moved beside his mate. The howls died but for Tino's snarls, the Finn was looking at Matthias questioningly. The Dane nodded at him, "change back, we've got your back…" he ordered as he moved to stand next to the swede. His blue eyes searched the distance, straining to see amidst trees, scrub and rocky knolls.

His eyes narrowed as they focussed on the dark form of a large canid rushing towards them. He'd seen Arthur before, even fought him once or twice, but very little of that wolf remained. Physically he appeared the same but his demeanour was much changed. He raised his gun in determination, the others doing the same. He couldn't risk missing the target, too much was at stake.

Tino nodded, moving behind everyone to change without his vulnerability whilst between forms being targeted. He flinched as he heard the sharp retort of a gun and the resultant thud of it hitting earth or wood. There was no yelp or bellow of pained rage.

Miss.

He frowned, his anxiety making the change take longer than normal. He couldn't stay in this form though, it was too dangerous.

He was still more wolf than human when he caught a snarl from the side just as rather small and gangly wolf leapt and bowled him over from a nearby copse of shrubs. His limbs may have appeared too long for his body in a childish way but the strange wolf's aim was true. The wind had blown the scent of him away from the gathered pack allowing him to get in close.

The sudden blow immediately had Tino return to his lupine form as Berwald cursed and twisted to aim at the pile of fur and flashing fangs. He didn't shoot though, unable to do so without posing the risk of shooting his mate.

The pack was in chaos, torn between facing the oncoming threat or helping Tino with the threat from behind. Berwald was already a pale grey blur as he leapt to wrestle with the young wolf atop his mate, being careful to avoid being bitten. Emil and Kaoru soon followed, a flash of black and white fur.

Lukas's teeth were bared in an animalistic snarl as he took aim once more at the approaching hellhound. Matthias seemed torn between shooting and shoving his mate out the way as Arthur grew close enough to see the black depths of his once emerald eyes. The Norwegian didn't notice his mate's indecision though, breathing out as he fired off a shot.

The hell hound yelped as he veered away, the bullet grazing his shoulder as the scent of burning flesh filled the air. He backed up warily, snarling all the while as he gazed at the guns. The young wolf snapped angrily before pulling free from the trio of wolves hounding it to bolt to the Arthur's side. His light grey fur was stained with blood as he snarled.

Matthias fired off a pair of shots as both hell hounds turned and ran with a final snap. Arthur was limping due to his injured forelimb but it didn't appear to slow him as both bullets missed and buried themselves in the rocks.

The Dane cursed, turning to Tino once he was sure neither were returning. His language grew worse when he saw the state the wolf was in.

The Finn's fur was torn and blood stained as he panted and whimpered. Berwald was the only one other than him who still stood as a wolf, tenderly licking his injured mate's muzzle.

None of the others seemed to be injured, any blood on them having come from either Tino or the hellhound. They appeared anxious though, glancing at Matthias questioningly. Berwald snarled when he approached though and it didn't take the Dane long to realise why. He clearly remembered Lukas's words at the meeting.

"_They're smart and vicious killing machines and like a werewolf their bite is infectious. A bite from a hell hound leaves the victim open to possession from another one of its kind. They don't go down without a fight and as far as I'm aware there is no way to expel one from its host once it takes root."_

Tino's eyes were currently pain filled and lavender but how long before they turned black? How long before the kind hearted Finn turned into the same monster they were hunting?

"_We put a silver bullet in its damn forehead. We hunt it down and put an end to it."_

That had been about a wolf he barely knew not Tino. Could he do that to his own pack mate? Could he destroy Berwald by putting his mate down like a rabid dog?

Did he have a choice?

**A/N2: and this is how authors get a bounty placed on their head and give their characters PTSD. Probably should run for cover…**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: that's good at least :) ja, dreams are weird at times. Thankfully I didn't! No more brain bleach for me! Hope you don't want to kill me over this chapter :) thanks for the review!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: and to spare you from the last cliffie here's the next chapter in which I prove that I am not vindictive, I'm malicious :)**

**And no, I didn't spell cemetery wrong in this chapter's song reference. The song itself refers to the Stephen King's novel 'pet sematary' and its film adaption. For more information I'd suggest either reading the book or watching the movie, both are pretty good. Great, now I want to reread it and guess where my copy is? Half a world away in a cupboard in South Africa with the rest of my books.**

_The moon is full, the air is still_

_All of a sudden I feel a chill_

_Victor is grinning, flesh rotting away_

_Skeletons dance, I curse this day_

_And at night when the wolves cry out_

_Listen close and you can hear me shout_

_I don't want to be buried in a Pet Sematary_

_I don't want to live my life again_

_I don't want to be buried in a Pet Sematary_

_I don't want to live my life again_

_Pet Sematary- the Ramones_

"When was the last time he ate or slept?" Emil asked, looking up from the website he'd been looking through to stare at the door leading to the basement. Lukas followed his gaze and sighed, setting his current book aside wearily.

"Three days ago… he refuses to leave him..." He murmured.

"You're worried about him aren't you…?"

"Of course… he's going to kill himself if he keeps this up…"

Emil sighed, closing his laptop when his latest website yet again failed to turn up anything useful. Both wolves had shadows around their eyes from sleep deprivation but it was nothing compared to what Berwald looked like. The swede seemed more like a phantom than the man they'd known. "Hopefully it'll improve when Matthias and Kaoru get back…"

"You don't believe that do you?"

"I'm struggling to see anyway for him to come out of this in one piece… can you blame me? That was his mate…"

The Norwegian nodded, grabbing yet another book from the massive pile beside him. "I know… I fear the same…"

.o.)O(.o.

"What on earth were you thinking Matthias? You can't play around with things like this!" Ludwig growled. At the German's side his elder brother and beta nodded in agreement.

"Could you do it Ludwig? Could any of you do it if it was your pack mate?" the Dane snapped, glaring at the gathered alphas and their betas.

They'd gathered in a cheap motel room in Manchester, Matthias wanting to keep as much distance between the other packs and his own. He already felt vulnerable having Kaoru instead of Berwald or Lukas at his side but he didn't have any other option.

Lukas was the only one who had a clue what to search for and Berwald was next to useless at the moment even if he would leave the abandoned farmhouse with its sparse furniture that they'd made their base. Emil was the best choice for helping the Norwegian with his research since he was one of the best when it came to computers within the pack.

Matthias sighed; his pack was such a mess at the moment…

Antonio opened his mouth to speak, presumably to argue further if his expression was anything to go by but Kaoru interrupted him. "What if it was Lovino? Or Michelle? Could you put them down like you're suggesting?"

Francis and the Spaniard both flinched at the idea of losing their mates, the other alphas seeming to get the same chills as they thought crossed their minds.

"Exactly. There's more than one person at stake here. If Tino dies so will Berwald, and he will take whoever's responsible down with him." Matthias added.

"And if he escapes? He'll kill everyone in his path when he gets out! I won't risk my mate and pack for you." Ivan threatened. "If you can't kill him I will."

"He's secure, there's no chance of him escaping, I've made sure of it. The rest of my pack and my own mate are also at risk, even more so than yours." The Dane growled. His eyes were murderous as he glared at the Russian.

"But what if he does escape? Would you let him run free due to your sentimentality?" Yao asked.

Matthias sighed, glancing at Kaoru with hard eyes. "If he escapes I will put him down myself. I won't let you guys butcher him like a common animal!"

"Look mate, I appreciate what you're trying to do and all but chances are there isn't a cure. Your mate said so himself." Jett hinted.

"If there's no way to fix him I will kill him myself as is my duty. But I want to be one hundred percent certain before taking such steps. I won't needlessly tear my pack apart unless I'm positive there is no other option."

There was a series of grumbles and murmurs at his words before the rest of the wolves nodded. "Very well dude, but make sure you keep him chained up." Alfred warned. He was the only one who didn't seem on edge amongst the various alphas and betas.

"If he gets loose we will kill him to protect our own… consider yourself warned." Ludwig growled.

.o.)O(.o.

Berwald's eyes were heavy and his entire body stiff as he sat against the base of the wall. The basement was dark and damp, the lone light fixture flickering erratically but he didn't notice. His gaze was fixed on his mate.

"You know he never loved you. He was just using you." Tino smirked, black eyes sparkling maliciously. His hands and legs were tied to an old chair with silver chains to keep him pinned and the metal was leaving painful looking burns on his skin. His wounds from the younger hell hound's attack had healed to leave faint scars.

"Liar…" Berwald breathed tiredly though some doubt leaked into his voice. The hell hound immediately picked up on it as his smile grew. The vindictive grin was odd on the Finn's face.

"You've noticed it haven't you? Has he ever said I loved you? He was using you the whole time."

"No he wasn'"

"You just don't want to hear the truth. But want to know a secret Berwald?" Tino snickered. "When I get out of here and tear you apart, when your precious wife watches the light leave your eyes, he'll be glad to be free of you."

The swede closed his eyes, trying to block out the words that were threatening to break his heart. It wasn't Tino, he told himself. Sure, the Finn may never have told him that he loved him but he could see it in his eyes. The thing speaking with his mate's voice was lying.

Closing his eyes proved to be just as painful as listening to the hell hound. He could remember and even see Tino as he lay wounded. Hear his pained whimpers and pleading voice to help him.

He'd begged him not to let him become one of those things. He'd begged him to not let him die.

He'd failed in the first plea but he wouldn't fail him a second time. He'd seen Matthias's indecision and refused to let him near his mate. He'd let none of them near Tino even when Lukas had explained that he needed to be tied up once the Finn had fallen unconscious he wouldn't let them near him.

His hands had burnt as he'd handled the chain and he'd cursed every whimper that the silver had drawn from his unconscious mate. He hated hurting him…

When his wounds had healed and the Finn started to stir he'd been relieved only to have his hopes dashed when Tino had opened pitch black eyes. He'd hoped that he would have awoken as he had been, hurt and scared of course, but still Tino.

He'd failed though. And if his self-loathing wasn't enough the hell hound had to speak to him in Tino's soft voice and murmur venomous things.

He didn't even know if his mate was still in there…

"Berwald? I brought you something to eat…"

The swede flinched at the words, instinctively baring his teeth at Lukas who couldn't even bring up the energy to roll his eyes. The sight of the protective blonde was just too much for him to work up his usual retorts as he gave Berwald the sandwiches he'd prepared.

Tino laughed at the Norwegian's appearance. "Well if it isn't Norge! How's your mate doing? The idiot gotten himself killed yet? He's going to you know… if something else doesn't I will. Maybe I'll give you his head as a gift."

Lukas glared at him murderously. "Shut up…"

"Or what? You'll beat me like you do your mate? Who knows, maybe he won't die… maybe he'll grow sick of all your abuse and leave you… poor little Norgie would be left all alone…"

"He won't. We're mates…"

"Berwald and I are supposedly mates but Tino can't wait to be free from him. Your pathetic mate excuse means nothing. I'm going to kill both of you, you know? And Emil, Kaoru and your precious Dane. You're all going to die! You're going to burn in the depths of hell!" Tino smirked as Lukas snarled and headed back up the stairs. He was scared he was going to do something he'd regret if he stayed…

Berwald sighed, setting his sandwiches aside without taking a bite as he placed his head in his hands. Every word that left Tino's lips bit deeper than a blade and was slowly but surely ripping his heart to shreds.

**A/N2: …I really get way too big a kick out of tormenting fictional characters… it probably isn't healthy…**

**Tino kind of scares me now even if his words come easily… that's what I get for being obsessed with horror movies.**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: and being broke once again saves lives :) I don't blame you for being unable to wait but cautious of this chapter, if you think Tainted was bad you should see what else I'm capable of. I think one of my friends had it right when she said that between myself and my girlfriend we leave most characters with PTSD and we should just co-author something and then EVERYONE will leave with PTSD, severely traumatised or dead :) this story might not have any rape or child abuse but I still have a lot of ideas up my sleeve. Thanks for the review!**

**Major: wondered where you'd got to! Hope the hibernation went well! At least lots of chapters for you to read means lots of reviews so it's a win-win situation! Ja, Tino is special (and now scary…) and no werewolf fic is complete without vampires :D thanks for the reviews!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: mon dieu… why the hell did I have that second slice of lemon meringue? It was worth it but still… and yes Prussia, I did scrape the meringue off and call it a "lemon whore" along with remembering the last time I ate it in which you managed to fall and squash the chocolate cake whilst also sticking your foot in France's slice.**

**Oh god, laughing… bad idea… **

_Don't you dare to save your son_

_Kill him now and save the young ones_

_Be the mother of a birth strangled babe_

_Be the devil's own, Lucifer's my name_

_Moonchild- hear the mandrake scream_

_Moonchild- open the seventh seal_

_Moonchild- you'll be mine soon child_

_Moonchild- take my hand tonight_

_Moonchild- Iron Maiden_

"You fool! They were defenceless but you still couldn't take them down?" Arthur hissed, tentatively touching the bullet graze across his arm. It stung and would definitely scar due to the silver that caused it but seemed to be healing.

Peter crossed his arms, glaring at the hell hound's British host. "I did the best I could, you were hardly any help." He spat. He didn't back down when Arthur turned on him with bared teeth, barely flinching.

"I was shot at, what's your excuse?"

"I had not one but three of them attack me."

Arthur sighed, continuing to glare at the younger hellhound. "fail again and you will regret it… I should have killed you on the spot!"

.o.)O(.o.

"He hasn't eaten once?" Matthias asked exasperatedly. He and Kaoru had only just returned home and already he was more worried about Berwald than he'd started out as. He'd known that it would be bad but he had hoped otherwise. Coupled with the fact that Lukas and Emil had yet to find anything to help made his day go from bad to worse.

Lukas nodded, his dark eyes concerned. "I've tried to get him to eat and rest but he refuses to…" he sighed.

The Dane cursed under his breath. "I'll be right back." He promised, taking long strides towards the basement. The Norwegian gazed after him for a moment before turning back to his work that never seemed to grow any smaller. Maybe this book would be the book to hold some speck of lore on expelling a hellhound.

.o.)O(.o.

Berwald immediately leapt to his feet when Matthias came down the stairs, growls rumbling past bared teeth despite his human appearance. Tino smirked at the confrontation, watching with blood thirsty eyes.

The Dane merely raised his hands non-confrontationally, gazing at his beta pityingly as he ignored the Finn tied to the chair. He paid no mind to the insults and threats coming from the hellhound's lips, focussing all of his attention on Berwald. "Relax okay? I'm not going to hurt him… now back down so we can talk." he promised.

The swede truly looked awful. His skin was pale whilst his eyes were those of man hunted. It saddened Matthias to see him in such a state but he breathed a sigh of relief when the inhuman growls ceased. Berwald still stood stiffly and defensively but he seemed willing to give the alpha a chance.

"What is 't?" he asked cautiously, eyes not leaving Matthias's face.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself Berwald… have you seen yourself? You're a mess."

"Yer poin' is?"

Matthias sighed softly at the fact that the other didn't seem to give a rat's ass about his own wellbeing. "I want you to come upstairs and eat something, get a few hours' sleep as well. I'm worried about you, we all are." It was rare for the Dane to sound as serious as he was now.

"So ya can get ta Tino while I'm not aroun'? Is tha' 't?" Berwald growled, growing even more defensive at the idea.

"Berwald, how long have you known me?"

"What's tha' got ta do with anythin'?"

"Just answer it."

The swede sighed, thinking for a moment before answering. "One thousan' two hundre' 'nd ten years…" he admitted.

"Exactly. And in that time, have I ever betrayed you or broken my word?"

"…no…"

"I promise you Berwald, I won't lay a finger on your mate. Now will you come and eat something quietly or do I have to drag you up those steps kicking and screaming?"

Berwald still looked hesitant as he glanced towards his mate making Matthias roll his eyes. "One of the others will watch over him, now choose. It wasn't an idle threat…"

.o.)O(.o.

In the end he did come quietly although he did glower at Emil threateningly when the Icelandic moved towards the basement to replace him. Once out from the dark basement the swede appeared even worse for wear, his skin was dirty from the dust covered floor and his hair was extremely dishevelled. Matthias was relieved to see him eating though, even if his appetite was less so than usual.

He waited until Berwald was finished eating before glancing at Lukas nervously and clearing his throat. "I spoke to the other alphas about Tino." He murmured, watching the swede's reaction cautiously.

The tall blonde stiffened his eyes cold as they fixed on the alpha. "'nd?"

"…they don't like the situation. I managed to cool things over for now but how long that will last I don't know… they'll allow us a chance to search for a way to turn him back without interfering which is something at least."

Berwald nodded, still looking distrustful. "wha' else?"

Matthias sighed. "I just want you to understand what must happen if it comes to the worst…"

The chair Berwald had been sitting in fell backwards with a loud crash as the swede stood. "No. 'T won't come ta tha'." He spat.

"Berwald sit down." Lukas ordered warily.

Kaoru nodded in agreement. "We hope it won't come down to that but we need to cover all bases…"

The swede seemed unwilling to listen as he glared venomously at Matthias. The Dane stared back, not backing down. "Just hear me out okay?" he took a deep breath when Berwald didn't respond. "We're doing the best we can to find another option but if there is no way to turn him back you must consider what's best for Tino. He's like a rabid animal at the moment; if he gets loose he will kill. Could you really live with yourself allowing Tino to remain in such a state for the rest of his life?"

The swede was silent, his eyes hurt at the idea.

"And if he does get loose the other packs will consider him a threat and they will hunt him down. They'll butcher him Berwald, there's no other word for it…"

" 't won't come down ta tha'…" Berwald mumbled, casting his glance aside.

"We all hope so to, but we need to face facts that it might. None of us like the idea Berwald."

"Ya prom'sed not ta harm him."

"I know but-"

"I'll hold ya ta tha' prom'se M'tthias. If ya wan' ta kill him, ya'll have ta kill me firs'. Ah won't let ya hurt him…" Berwald growled turning and walking towards the basement once more.

"So help me Berwald if you go down there again I will drag your hide back up here!" Lukas snapped. "You can't run away from this!"

"Agreed." Matthias warned, standing to walk over to the swede who'd paused at the door. "Berwald, hopefully things will turn out alright. I pray they do… I'm just taking precautions. I don't want to see Tino suffer any more then you do… I'm not asking for you to give me permission straight away, just sleep on it. Take several days if you must…" he begged.

Berwald sighed, looking torn and impossibly lost. The Dane frowned, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, forget I said anything for now, just get some sleep. You look awful." He smiled sadly. "…Tino would hate to see you like this…"

**A/N2: no comments this time, too busy wishing for death… worst idea I've ever had…**

**Review replies:**

**LovelyStars: glad you liked it :) I also feel bad for what I'm doing to Berwald… hope this chapter cleared up what happened to Peter. Arthur turned him into a hellhound after the initial blood lust wore off and the rest of his pack was dead. He's been roaming with Arthur since. Thanks for the review!**

**Major: yep, I work fast :) glad you've almost caught up! Thanks for the reviews!**

**Keiron: I'm sorry! I have no excuses I'm afraid… since I couldn't add fluff to this chapter can I interest you in a fluffy sufin oneshot instead? once I feel less "oh god kill me now" of course… thanks for the review! Things will improve :)**

**NOOOOOOOOO (from chapter 20): sorry, my phone was an ass so I only got your review late… don't worry, all of my multi-chapter stories have a happy ending in mind even if I torture the characters en-route :) thanks for the review!**

***goes to read/whimper in bed***


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: and I've discovered something I CAN'T write. Racial slurs. I'm hardly politically correct (I'm South African, we call a spade a spade) but I physically can't type them out even if it fits in. I have no problem with things like black, white or coloured (god knows I would never use the politically correct terms of African American or anything like that, it sounds weird as hell.) but anything designed as an insult I can't voice. Strange since I come from a fairly racist family (my mom's side at least…)**

**Warning for lemon at the end.**

_What a big heart I have_

_The better to love you with_

_Little red riding hood_

_Even bad wolves can be good_

_I'll try to be satisfied just to walk close to your side_

_Maybe you'll see things my way before we get to grandma's house_

_Lil' red riding hood- Sam the sham and the pharaohs_

"Are you glad you've finally found someone?"

Emil ignored the question, he'd heard enough from Lukas to know that if he were to speak his words would be twisted and thrown back in his face. Part of him found it hard to believe that Tino could be so cruel but he didn't want it proven.

"Poor little Emil, always left out…"

The Icelandic wolf did his best to ignore the words, grinding his teeth together in a rare display of frustration. He wouldn't even look at the hell hound out of fear of provoking him to cast even more poisonous remarks at him.

"Lukas liked it when you were alone. He was the special one, the one with a mate. Then Berwald had to find pretty little Tino and you were the only one left who could envy him. He hates you now; he's no longer special because of you…"

A growl formed in Emil's throat but he bit it back, he didn't want the Finn to see how much his words affected him.

"Matthias as well. Berwald at least fell for a human you had to go and fall for another wolf." Tino smirked before laughing, a racial slur falling from his lips. The pale haired boy's face twitched before he could smooth it back into an emotionless mask.

"Oh, don't you like it when I call him that?"

"Shut up."

"So the emotionless Emil has feelings after all. Would you cry if I took your mate away from you? Or would you not care? What's loneliness to the forever alone Icelander."

"You can't hurt him. I won't let you even if you did get free."

"You can't hold me forever. The moon's growing fat again."

"You're bound with silver. You couldn't change if you wanted to."

"Do you know that for sure? Which is more powerful I wonder, the moon or your pathetic silver?"

.o.)O(.o.

He was alone now; Emil had left to go eat with the others and had yet to return. The hell hound smirked, he'd hurt and worried him more than the Icelandic wolf cared to admit. He'd seen it in his eyes, the animalistic flash the preceded a shift had been there for a moment before the other had managed to control himself.

_I wish you wouldn't hurt them like that… _the voice was sad and weary at the back of his mind but only made the hell hound bark with laughter.

_Why? Do you hate it? Does it make you want to kill me? Does pretty little Tino love them?_

He heard his host sigh. It had been more interesting when he'd fought, when he'd sworn and struggled to regain control of his body. He smirked when he felt a tiny rush of that same refusal to give up; it was weaker than before but still there.

_I hope they shoot me. I hope you burn in hell!_

_They won't kill us Tino. They wouldn't dare hurt you… and you know what? I'll leave that precious swede of yours till last. I'll kill him slowly. You'll taste his blood and flesh, you'll see the pain in his eyes as he realises that his precious Tino killed him._

He laughed as pain flashed through his host. He was looking forward to fulfilling that promise… he glanced towards the roof with a sigh.

Soon. It was so close he could taste it…

.o.)O(.o.

"Emil? Are you okay?" Kaoru asked in concern as his mate sat down.

"I just need a moment…" he mumbled, glancing up as Lukas came into the room. "How's he doing?"

"Still sleeping. I'll keep some food for when he wakes up." The Norwegian was glad that the swede was finally catching up on his sleep. He'd fallen asleep the moment his head hit the cheap pillow and had yet to budge sixteen hours later but for the soft snores leaving his sleeping form.

Emil nodded, picking at his food half-heartedly. "I think I need a run…" he eventually said softly, shoving his food away altogether.

"Is it safe to do so? We've still got two hell hounds on the loose…" Lukas stated.

"I'll go with him if he needs it." Kaoru said, moving closer to his mate.

The Norwegian nodded, still looking hesitant. "If you don't go far it should be fine I guess… Matthias and I can keep an eye on Tino until either you get back or Berwald wakes up."

Emil nodded, standing after a quick glance at his mate. Lukas was still nervous about letting them go but he could see the desperation in the Icelandic wolf's normally blank eyes. He wondered what it was Tino had been telling him.

.o.)O(.o.

Emil didn't even wait for Kaoru as he stripped and shifted, he was bounding away on four legs before the Asian had even removed his shirt. The dark wolf sighed, changing as quickly as possible before giving chase. His muscles worked effortlessly beneath sleek fur, tail streaming behind him as he fought to catch up.

The almost white wolf seemed to be trying to focus on nothing but the ground flying beneath his paws but he did slow slightly to allow his mate to catch up.

_Emil, what's wrong? _Kaoru asked, a whine escaping his muzzle.

The Icelandic wolf hesitated for a moment before sighing and relaying Tino's words. He'd slowed to a walk now before stopping completely by a shallow stream. He was panting from his frantic race.

_You know that that isn't Tino… that thing wants us to turn on one another, you can't listen to it Emil. _The Asian murmured, nuzzling his mate's neck.

_I know… but what if he's right?_

_Lukas could never hate you, none of them could. You know that. We'll all get through this, I promise…_

Emil sighed, his eyes still hurt. _I just want to forget his words but they won't leave me alone…_

_Emil, look at me. _Kaoru ordered, his brown eyes meeting violet and not dropping the gaze. He tenderly licked his mate's muzzle. _Forget him. Forget everything that's happened. It's just you and me now._

His dark fur receded as he continued to hold Emil's gaze even when the pale wolf tried to look away. "I promise." He murmured once fully human, he dug his fingers into the thick fur surrounding his mate's face.

The Icelandic wolf gave a low whine, leaning into the touch as he closed his eyes. Kaoru didn't pull away as the other's fur receded and left him touching smooth skin and a few stray locks of hair. He leant forward once Emil was done shifting, brushing his lips against his. It only took a moment before the pale haired boy responded to the kiss, hands coming up to run through the Asian's dark hair.

Emil was starting to breathe heavily, not noticing the grass and twigs digging into his bare knees as the kiss deepened. He was desperate for a distraction. Kaoru was smiling against his lips, moving so that the Icelandic wolf's back was pressed against the cool earth as he knelt above him.

"I love you…" he murmured, pulling away to kiss a slow trail down his mate's chest.

Emil's breath hitched as the other brushed a sensitive spot, his fingers roaming over the Asian's body. "Love you too…" he breathed before gasping as his mate's tongue flicked over his shaft. His grip tightened, leaving slight crescent indentations on Kaoru's back.

He was no longer concerned about Tino's words, any thought of them blown away by the darker wolf's ministrations. He shivered slightly at the soft touches, small pants and moans leaving his lips. His hands were wrapped tightly in Kaoru's hair as he gasped, his mate licking and sucking at his length in earnest.

His skin was flushed when Kaoru pulled away, Emil giving a slight whimper at the loss of contact. His hair was dishevelled and sprawled around his head like a silver halo, his eyes half lidded and hazed. The Asian smiled at him, a hand moving to gently cup his cheek whilst he started wetting the fingers of the other hand.

The Icelandic wolf watched intently, leaning into and lightly nipping at the hand on his face as he spread his legs. He winced when a finger pressed against his entrance, stiffening slightly at the initial sting. Kaoru kissed him deeply, slipping his finger completely inside and slowly adding more to stretch him.

Both were panting now, Emil trying to move back against the fingers that teased him as he ignored the slight pain. He trusted Kaoru completely.

He shivered as the fingers were removed, fingers digging into the Asian's shoulders as something larger pressed against him and slowly slipped inside. He gasped in slight pain, holding onto his mate tightly as they waited for him to adjust to the sensation.

He nodded once he was ready, hissing slightly at the rough friction as Kaoru started to thrust. A slightly strangled shout fell from his lips as his mate struck his prostate; his head tilting back to expose the pale expanse of his throat. The Asian lightly sucked on his Adam's apple and pulse point as they both bit back soft moans.

Nothing mattered but the other.

**A/N2: advantage of being a werewolf, no clothes to get rid of and a rather high pain threshold :) it took me twenty three chapters but we finally have something worth the m-rating! Jodi, you better appreciate the yaoi…**

**I feel sorry for Tino though; writing his thoughts whilst trapped within his own body was rather saddening… and a note on wolf behaviour: eye contact is a challenge and dominance tactic amongst most predators including wolves thus why Emil was trying to glance away when Kaoru held his gaze.**

**Review replies:**

**Major: glad you caught up and enjoyed it :) sorry for making you sad! Quite a coincidence about your dream I have to admit! But please don't take my head, I rather like it attached to my body… thanks for the reviews!**

**Keiron: yay! It's up and called "our history", nice and fluffy :) don't worry I won't hurt Tino… much… he'll survive it though! That's a promise! Thanks for the review.**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: fairly short chapter this time, action starts again next chapter when the full moon arrives. Oh and turns out I can trace my lineage back to the Holy Roman Empire before the area was claimed by France :) there's even a Basque region in France that shares my surname.**

**Damn this story is getting long… I was sure I'd be finished by the mid-twenties but now it's looking to reach the thirties.**

_Because there's a monster living under my bed_

_Whispering in my ear_

_There's an angel, with a hand on my head_

_She says I've got nothing to fear_

_She says: La illaha illa Allah_

_We all shine like stars_

_She says: La illaha illa Allah_

_We all shine like stars_

_Then we fade away_

_Put your lights on- Santana_

"If you just planned on fucking each other senseless you could have just used the bedroom." Matthias chuckled as Emil and Kaoru got back. Their clothes were dusty and slightly worse for wear from lying in the dirt to the extent that neither had bothered with more than pants and both had a few conspicuous love-bites across their throats and chests. It was their expressions that gave them away though, both appearing slightly sheepish.

"Leave them alone Matthias, they don't comment when we come home like that…" Lukas scolded, cheeks going slightly pink as he admitted it. He tried to hide it by opening up yet another book; the pile he still had to work through was growing steadily smaller.

Matthias pouted but didn't comment further to the embarrassed pair's relief. "I take it Berwald's watching over Tino?" Emil asked, collapsing in one of the chairs as his mate went to dump their clothes in the wash pile and grab them both clean garments.

"Yeah, he refused to allow it any other way. At least he ate this time." The Dane explained. They didn't react when Lukas cursed and threw his current book aside, too used to the occurrence. "No luck there yet Norge?" he asked wearily.

"No, there's nothing at all… a few mentions every now and again but nothing on sending the things back to hell…" he admitted with a sigh.

His mate looked at him sympathetically. "Maybe you should get some sleep… you've been working for hours."

"Not until I know for sure that none of these will help Tino."

"I agree with Matthias Lukas, you can't over work yourself like this. Kaoru and I can take over for a bit."

Lukas was frowning now at the tag teaming he was being put through. "…I don't know… you don't know what you're looking for."

"Norge, we can handle it. Emil can continue perusing the internet and Kaoru can work on the books. We'll take whatever information we can get, even if we merely find out where the things came from would be a help." The Dane protested. He frowned when Lukas suddenly went stiff, talking to himself in quick Norwegian that was too fast to make out.

Emil cocked his head at the Norwegian's behaviour, accepting the clothes that Kaoru handed him with a nod. "Lukas?" he questioned, slipping the clean garments on.

The dark blonde glanced up, as if only just realising their presence. "…we've been going about it all wrong… Matthias you're a genius!"

Matthias blinked. "Um Norge? I have no clue what you're going on about… Care to share with the class?"

"…I take it back, you're still an idiot." Lukas grumbled half-heartedly, moving to sit at the table with the others. "Not just anyone can summon a hell hound. Only immortals are capable of doing so and even then it is only a rare few. At the moment there would only be two beings strong enough to do so. Werewolves who are experienced in magic probably could, though why they'd want to is a good question."

He sighed before continuing. "Most werewolves wouldn't be able to summon one, that much I can vouch for. Arthur probably could have but he's smart enough to take precautions. Ivan as well."

"And you? I know you dabbled with magic once." Emil asked.

"No, I learnt my lesson about that and I've got the scars to prove it. I could never bring up the energy to summon a hell hound…" Lukas admitted. The Icelandic wolf frowned; he'd seen the scars before, a set of faded, jagged lines that crossed the Norwegian's back but he'd never thought they came from the other's magical experiments.

They all had similar scars of course, one of the hazards of being a werewolf. Matthias and Berwald had the most of course, having been around longer and due to their habit of fighting, but even Tino had started to gain his own set of scars before the hell hound even lay a claw on him.

"So we can rule out werewolves. What's the other?" Kaoru asked before Emil could question the Norwegian further.

"Vampires. Old and thus powerful ones who are at least over two thousand years old."

Matthias frowned, looking thoughtful. "But we've never had issues with vampires before. We've always coexisted peacefully."

Lukas shrugged. "I guess something must have changed then. Someone must have wanted a bit more power and called on a hellhound as either an attack dog or guard dog."

"At least that gets us somewhere though… how many vampires old enough to summon a hell hound can there be?" Kaoru asked.

"Maybe three worldwide? Only one within Europe that I know of." The Norwegian offered making Emil frowned.

"So few? There have to be at least a dozen werewolves that age…"

"Yeah, the vampires didn't get through the witch hunts as well as we did. We could at least hide out if we had to but the vampires were trapped by the sun and their need to feed and couldn't do anything to escape the towns. Almost all the vampires were wiped out and even a few wolves even if they focussed more on the witches in the history text books." Matthias explained. "There have never been many of us but it really took its toll on the vampire community."

Emil nodded, apparently satisfied with the explanation. He'd been turned too late to know much about life prior to the twentieth century. "So what do we do now?"

"We go speak to each of them and find out who's responsible. I'd say Vladimir is most likely but the other two are also options if he doesn't know. Last I checked he was in Romania with his consort and a handful of other vampires. If he is responsible we might need a bit more man power on our side though." Lukas explained.

"I'll speak to the others." Matthias offered. "We could be ready to leave as soon as tomorrow."

"The full moon's tomorrow not to mention that none of us are at full strength. If we're going to go after a vampire we'll need to hunt." Lukas dismissed.

No-one wanted to speak of how they would manage that and keep an eye on Tino. The fear that the silver wouldn't be as strong as they hoped was at the fore front of their minds.

"Lukas, you get some sleep. I'll try to convince Berwald to come hunting with me whilst Kaoru and Emil watch Tino. You can go hunt with them later so that we'll all be here to prepare for when the moon rises tomorrow. We'll block the basement door as a precaution and wait it out." Matthias ordered, taking note of the nods as he stood to head down to the basement.

**A/N2: the witch hunts did in fact include hunts for vampires and werewolves. Across Europe and North America graves were opened and corpses stakes and burnt, within the Baltic States (Estonia in particular) werewolf trials were as common as one's for witches. Little history lesson for you.**

**In conjunction with the story: most of the werewolves were able to escape the trials since if necessary they could go wolf for a bit and live in the wilderness without too many hassles. The vampires though had to remain close to their food source and couldn't go out in the sun which proved problematic when it came to being hunted since they couldn't escape their hidey holes. Thus the vampire population was all but decimated by the end of that period.**

**So what'll happen next? Will Tino get free? Will Vlad co-operate? Will anyone die or be mortally wounded?**

**You'll just have to wait and see…**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: that was the one I had in mind though I do know two other insults for Asians unfortunately, it comes from having lived in such a multi-cultural country that has a habit of hating one another… as for the STD thing I'm going to go with no and follow the same logic as one of my favourite werewolf series (the 'Riley Jensen, guardian' series by Keri Arthur) where due to being long lived, fast healing and generally impervious to human ailments such things don't affect them. Sorry about the mix up with 'our history'! The majority of the people within the Hetalia yaoi fandom seem to be female so I ended up falling prey yet again to assumption… I never learn my lesson when it comes to assumption… I fixed it up though. Thanks for the review!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I believe I may have mentioned this elsewhere but I really hate insomnia. I haven't had more than four hours of sleep a night in five days and the world is very boring at two o'clock in the morning… coupled with a heat wave leaves me a tad cranky… stupid Australian summer…**

_It's hiding in the dark_

_It's teeth are razor sharp_

_There's no escape for me_

_It wants my soul_

_It wants my heart_

_No one can hear me scream_

_Maybe it's just a dream_

_Or maybe it's inside of me_

_Stop this monster_

_Monster- Skillet_

Matthias sighed, tongue darting out to clean his muzzle of blood as he gazed at Berwald. The larger wolf was currently gnawing on a bone to get at the marrow, powerful jaws quickly working to snap it in two. The sparse remains of a sheep, all but completely devoured, lay nearby.

It had been risky going after livestock but they didn't really have much in the way of choice. There was nothing larger than a rabbit for them to hunt within the area around their current haunt but sheep seemed to be plentiful slightly further afield. As long as they kept out of sight they shouldn't run into any trouble considering they would be gone before long.

_You done? _He asked with a yawn, his muscles pulled tightly as he stretched. It had been too long since their last hunt.

Berwald glanced up, ignoring the few pieces of bone that were still in one piece as he stood. _Ja, I am. _He murmured voice more serious than usual which was saying a lot.

_Berwald, lighten up would you? We have a lead, you should be happy! Or whatever is closest to happy for you…_ the Dane grumbled, moving at a steady lope that the swede had no issues matching. Both were still slightly slimmer than usual, Berwald appearing positively gaunt in comparison to Matthias who had at least been eating.

The larger wolf just growled in response, refusing to answer. The alpha had to shake his head in response, the other may have always been serious but this was ridiculous. By all accounts the good news should have at least improved swede's mood at least a fraction.

But no, of course it hadn't. Matthias wasn't even sure why he was surprised, this was Berwald he was thinking of. God knows he hadn't so much as cracked a smile before meeting Tino.

.o.)O(.o.

_No offense but I wish I could have gone with Matthias…_ Lukas grumbled, scenting the air in case the Dane had been wrong about the presence, or lack thereof, of big game. He caught nothing but the old trail of rabbits, foxes and a badger none of which were large enough to satisfy three wolves.

_You know he had to go with Berwald to ensure he didn't do anything stupid. _Kaoru offered, nosing the earth half-heartedly.

_Yes, and he didn't want to push you when you so obviously needed sleep. He did what he had to. _Emil cautioned, he was already slinking through the grass towards a paddock of unguarded sheep. The others seemed hesitant but followed, fanning out to block off any escape routes.

_We haven't run together in a month… it's like he doesn't care. _Lukas sighed, eyes fixed on a ewe towards the outskirts of the flock. He was crouching now, ears pricked forwards as he crept silently towards the ignorant animal. It would be more worthwhile to each take down a separate animal but they all wanted the companionship and satisfaction of hunting as a pack over extra food.

_Things haven't exactly been normal at the moment… Tino's been speaking to you hasn't he?_ Emil realised. He should have picked up on it earlier; the Norwegian wasn't one for doubt when it came to Matthias.

_Of course. I know he's lying to us but a part of me wonders if he's right. _He growled softly. The scent of sheep was over-powering now, making him salivate slightly. He remained still though, eyes on the prey animal as a black blur raced across the paddock.

The sheep started bleating in panic, whirling on their haunches to evade the threat as Emil joined his mate and blocked the chosen prey off from its fleeing brethren. It was desperately trying to avoid the pair, kicking out at the snapping wolves as they herded it skilfully.

Lukas waited as the sheep approached, waiting for it come to close to successfully evade him as he lunged forward to attack the animal's front. Emil and Kaoru were both nipping at its flanks and belly to bring it down as the Norwegian's jaws closed like a trap around the defenceless animal's throat.

He held it tightly, not lessening his bite until the sheep stopped struggling. The other two wolves were quick to start tugging at the carcass, growling when the wool tangled in their teeth. Lukas's snarl made both of them pause, Emil immediately dropping his gaze and backing down. Kaoru held the Norwegian's gaze, hackles rising slightly however until the blonde took a step forward teeth bared.

_Back down Kaoru… _he warned, giving a short grunt when the order was obeyed after a moment and the Asian broke the stand-off. There would be better times for such petty arguments than at this moment.

Lukas didn't hesitate further, moving to tug and tear at the flesh of the ewe's belly as the other pair of wolves fell into place around him. They didn't bicker or argue at all after the initial challenge, allowing the human part of their nature to keep them all in check.

.o.)O(.o.

Lukas was pacing in frustration, occasionally pausing to stare out at the darkening sky. All of them were on edge, from Matthias who'd tense at the smallest sound as he prepared to defend his pack to Emil and Kaoru who had yet to take their eyes off of the pacing Norwegian. Berwald was the only one who was completely still, his gaze locked on the worn dresser standing in front of the basement door. Shouts and curses echoed up from behind it as Tino felt the moon's tug.

The Norwegian finally ceased his endless pacing as the first shivers rolled through his form. He held off the change for a moment to shed his clothes before allowing the shift to pour over him. He was vaguely aware of the others doing the same along with the shouts growing louder as the silver chains prevented Tino from changing of his own free will.

The moon was a glowing orb in the sky, partly covered by clouds as Lukas glanced at Matthias with a whine. The shouts were laced with pain making Berwald pin his ears back. Emil was gazing at the door with nervous eyes, leaning against his mate for comfort. They had no words for each other to soothe all of their frazzled nerves.

They all flinched as the sound of Tino's cries changed, no longer human howls but lupine ones.

_Fuck… _Matthias spat, leaping to his feet. His hackles were already stiff along his spine as he bared his teeth. _Berwald, move. _He ordered. The swede was too close to the door, if the barrier didn't hold he wouldn't have time to move to safety.

There was the crunch of something heavy striking the door hard enough to crack the wood and send the dresser skittering forward a few centimetres but still Berwald refused to move. His hackles were raised instinctively but other than that his posture was neither aggressive nor defensive. Matthias immediately recognised it as his own stance when he and Lukas got into a physical fight, when he refused to attack his mate.

He couldn't stand still and watch, leaping forward with a snarl despite the others warnings. The door cracked once more as a grey, white and cinnamon shape leapt free from the splintering wood. Berwald didn't even offer a growl or snap in his defence as it collided with him, sending both him and his mate flying in a blur of fur.

It was hard to tell were one wolf began and the other ended as a sharp yelp split the air.

**A/N2: yes, another cliffie :) you lot know I'm malicious like that!**

**And changing the chain from a leather cord to a silver chain my triquetra pendant hangs on has led to me feeling like a dog… it looks like a chain-link collar since I wear my necklaces tight. It's bad enough I have another necklace that makes me feel like a frigging dog…**

**And I've got a bruise that has gone from looking like the Latvian flag to the Prussian one courtesy of playing with my dog. Not kidding about the Prussian thing, two strips of blue-black with normal skin between and the normal skin has a slight mark from Pepa's claw where the Prussian eagle would be…**

**For those wanting something fluffy and happy to read after that I recently posted a fic on Arthur's opinion on Australian slang and a historical SuFin. Yes, I'm self-advertising, shut up…**

**Enough rambling, blame it on the fact that I'm tired and hot…**

**Review reply**

**Keiron: well we've got the start of an epic battle here :) or worrisome, depends on your view I guess… the rest of the action and battles is yet to come :) no worries about "our history", it was fun to write! Thanks for the review!**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: writing on alcohol… let's see how this goes :D**

**And I now have a plan in mind for my next multi-chapter story after this one :) I come up with all sorts of things at the crack of dawn!**

**As of tomorrow I find out whether I'm going to university, kind of nervous actually…**

_And my dear I need you to move a little faster_

_The second counts as the rest of your life_

_Your final word and an itchy finger_

_And then it's taken away_

_And we'll be beaten down without mercy or meaning_

_I turn my face to a careless skyline_

_I'm searching hard for a sign from heaven_

_But they've forgotten me here_

_You can just stop talking, I get it_

_I hear your silence loud and clear_

_I know it's barely a thought but it'll see us through_

_I'm only setting you free so just let it happen_

_Let it happen, no need to fear_

_Yeah, you can just stop talking, I get it_

_Lycanthrope- +44_

Jaws snapped closed bare centimetres from his face as he dropped his muzzle to guard his throat. Tino was growling fiercely but for some reason he wasn't physically attacking him. He was defenceless, pinned to the ground and refusing to fight back yet the hell hound wasn't taking advantage of the fact.

Berwald hesitantly opened the eyes he'd closed instinctively, the blue green of his gaze meeting with the malicious black depths of his mates. But there was more to it than that as Tino yelped sharply, skittering backwards with a fierce snap and snarl in the others direction as if he'd been stung. The swede realised that what he was seeing was indecision, pain and even a trace of fear.

All hell broke loose at that point, Matthias lunging forward with bared fangs as Tino gave a savage bark. But he didn't run towards the Dane, he didn't even run towards any of the others who were only just coming out of their shock to move to the alpha's aid. Instead Tino turned tail; black eyes focussed on the outside world as he leapt through the window with a yelp as glass shattered and fell to the ground like snow.

Matthias feared the worst as he fought the urge to give chase to look to his fallen pack mate. He gave a surprised yip when, upon walking anxiously over to Berwald, the swede turned and meet his gaze. His green blue eyes were surprised but very much full of life. In fact there wasn't a mark on him other than a few scratches from his tumble as he rolled over to get back on his feet.

He was shaking a bit, apparently just as surprised as the rest of the pack, but otherwise he was in one piece.

_What the hell just happened? _Lukas asked warily as Matthias hesitantly moved forward to sniff at his beta's shoulder. All of them couldn't believe that the swede was still alive, the Dane acting as though he feared that Berwald would turn on him at any moment.

But there wasn't a single bite or scratch on him from Tino. His blue green eyes remained untainted by black.

.o.)O(.o.

Once they'd gotten over the fact that Berwald wasn't going to die or change on them they settled in to wait. Matthias was all for going after Tino straight away which led to a brief scuffle between the Dane and the swede when the taller blonde caught on to his reasoning.

_I won't let you shoot him! _He growled once Lukas had come between them and forced them to stop fighting. The Norwegian was glowering in his direction as he tenderly licked Matthias's wounds.

_You know we have no choice Berwald… he could have killed you tonight! _Matthias snapped, he was just as unhappy with the turn of events as everyone else even if he was still thinking rationally unlike Berwald.

_He's right Berwald, the fact all of us are still alive is a miracle in itself… _Emil added before cowering as the swede snarled at him. Most of them had gotten used to Berwald's usual aggressive appearance but the true anger he was displaying was something else. The Icelandic wolf was pretty sure he didn't want that that anger turned on him and had to jab Kaoru in the side to prevent him from snarling in his defence. Now was not the time for any more fights.

_I don't care._

_All of you, enough! _Lukas growled, glaring at everyone in his pack. _We can't do anything until sunrise so the least we can do is stop fighting. Berwald? We'll see what we can do but if we are left with no choice you'll have to accept it. _He warned, not breaking eye contact with the swede.

Matthias had to admit that the Norwegian struck an imposing figure when he wanted to as Berwald growled but dropped his gaze. _Norge, how is it I'm alpha and you're not? _He asked proudly as everyone settled. The Swedish wolf was still growling and glaring at him threateningly but he didn't say anything.

_Because I think being alpha sounds like a crap job? Besides you're the better fighter._

_Was that a compliment?_

Lukas sighed, laying his head on his paws wearily as he tried not to think of what might have to happen when the sun rose. _Don't question it Matthias, just accept it._

.o.)O(.o.

A thick layer of frost crunched beneath their feet, their breath fogging up the crisp morning air as the sun started its journey through the sky. Berwald's eyes were glued to Matthias and the handgun he held distrustfully.

Every few metres a few drops of blood would be found on the grass or nearby foliage but it wasn't that that they were following. Emil walked beside them, nose to the ground even if his posture radiated distress. Kaoru's gaze never left the pale fur of his mate except to study their surroundings cautiously. They all knew that the chances of restraining Tino once more were slim to impossible.

The blood spatters were closer together now, as if the Finn had started slowing down. The occasional paw print was now a bare human ones were the ground was soft enough to hold tracks. Even those in human shape could pick up his scent, the mix of human, wolf and a smell that never failed to remind them of Christmas even if they couldn't pick out its exact source. There was also the scent of fire and sulphur, surprisingly faint considering how close Tino had to be.

Matthias was stiff as he picked up on the sound of faint breathing ahead as he held the gun at the ready. Kaoru had lightly gripped the nape of Emil's neck to pull him back as Lukas glanced between his mate and Berwald. The swede looked like he was contemplating tackling the Dane to protect his mate.

Tino was lying at the base of a lone tree, his bare skin scratched with evidence of still having glass and wood embedded in the flesh along with the burn marks on his neck and wrists from the silver he'd been bound with. His eyes were closed which made Lukas frown, the hell hound had never slept whilst restrained. He was shivering slightly in the cold air.

If Matthias was confused by the Finn's actions he didn't show it, the click of the guns safety being clicked off loud in the stillness as he padded for it. The metallic click had two effects.

Berwald growled softly, unable to stand by and watch as he leapt between the Dane and his mate. The alpha paused, unable to get a shot off due to the swede's defensive stance as he blocked Tino from range. The Finn was starting to stir but he would never be able to shoot without hitting the tall blonde or inevitably missing.

The gun fell from his suddenly limp hand with a dull thud as Tino looked up and met his gaze. Berwald seemed uncertain due to the alpha's reaction, stiffening as he looked for deceit in Matthias's face. The Dane's eyes were glued behind him and Berwald quickly saw why when he took a risk and followed his stare.

Tino's eyes were no longer black. They were lavender.

**A/N2: is Tino cured? How'd it happen? You'll have to wait till next chapter to know for sure!**

**Huh, starting to get close to two hundred reviews… same offer as with the hundred point mark :) two hundredth reviewer will also get a one shot!**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: glad you think so and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I hope so too, I rather loathe being unable to sleep… thanks for the review!**

**Shahi: ja, there seems to be very few supernatural sufins around… glad you're enjoying mine though! I can probably give you some other good, long multi-chapter sufins if you want, I've got a few that I'm watching :) thanks for the review!**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: slightly longer chapter this time! Without the major cliff-hanger this time! And fluffiness!**

_They're releasing all the hounds_

_What is lost can still be found_

_When you're walking with your fear down on the ground_

_Well there's those who choose to run_

_Following the setting sun_

_And now it seems the journey has begun_

_Well there is a reward_

_To live and die by the sword_

_Well they tried to complicate you_

_But you left it all behind_

_All the worldly possessions_

_Are left for recollections_

_And finally it's all gone_

_By the sword- Slash_

"You're sure it's gone?" Matthias pressed, eyes watching Tino warily.

The Finn nodded, stifling a yawn before flinching when yet another glass shard was pulled free from his skin by his mate. A small pile of blood stained slivers already rested on the table. "Paska…" he hissed, resisting the urge to rub the tender spot left behind. "Joo, I can't feel it at all." He explained.

He'd been interviewed in this sort of manner for at least an hour now and all he wanted to do was sleep. Berwald hadn't seemed as intent on questioning him like the others but he had also argued against him going to bed due to his injuries and had taken it upon himself to fix him up. He understood the reasoning behind it but it didn't change the fact that he was running on no sleep.

"What happened exactly? What did you feel?" Lukas insisted as Tino yawned once again.

"I don't know… I felt myself going for Berwald and I guess it gave me the strength to fight off the hell hound and shove it from my body. I refused to hurt him…" the Finn shrugged, lounging against his mate's chest wearily. He assumed all the glass had to be out since Berwald chose instead to wrap his arms around him and pull him onto his lap.

He vaguely noticed Lukas's frown as he thought it through, soft words were coming from Kaoru and Emil from the other room where they were phoning the other packs to alert them to the change in circumstances. Tino sighed, his eyelids drooping slightly as he relaxed in Berwald's grip.

"…werewolves can't intentionally harm their mates… I wonder… could such an act that's that repulsive to a werewolf expel a hellhound? Some kind of more violent version of true love's kiss?" the Norwegian mused before glancing at his mate to contemplate the possibility.

"I don't know… I mean the mate bond is powerful, but that powerful? I guess all legends come from somewhere but could it really be as simple as protecting the one you love?" Matthias shrugged eventually before glancing at Tino. "Does that sound right? Is that how you think you did it?"

It took the Finn a moment to realise that he was being spoken too, having zoned out during the pair's conversation. "Hmmm?" he mumbled inaudibly, trying to force his eyes open.

"Ya can question him later…" Berwald growled, noticing just how out of it Tino was.

The Dane sighed. "Fine, just keep an eye on him okay? Until we know for sure…" he reasoned. He threw his hands up defensively when Berwald glowered at him. "Hey, I'm just looking out for everyone here!"

The swede looked like he was going to press the issue but dropped it when the Finn mumbled something against his chest that sounded like a garbled version of 'leave it Berwald'. The tall blonde sighed, carefully supporting the smaller wolf as he stood. Tino grumbled sleepily at the shift in position but didn't seem keen on doing anything about it.

Lukas nodded, eyes on the pair as if he'd only just noticed the dark shadows below the Finn's eyes. "…he does look like he could use some rest I guess…" he admitted. "Do you need any help getting him to bed?" he offered when he saw just how unhelpful the tired wolf was when it came to moving.

"It's f'ne." Berwald scoffed, easily scooping Tino up in his arms after the Finn's few failed attempts of walking in a straight line. He was more liable to fall over than make it to the bedroom even if he leant on the swede for support.

The smaller blonde was so limp and quiet in his arms that he was sure he'd already passed out until he glanced down to his eyes were still partially open. "Berwald?" he mumbled softly.

"ja?" the swede wasn't sure what Tino was going to question him about, he seemed too tired to actually string a sentence together.

The Finn gave a weary smile, head leaning against his mate's chest. "I love you…"

Berwald could have sworn his heart skipped a beat at those slightly muffled but unmistakeable words. "Ah love ya too Tino." He murmured before realising that the other couldn't hear him if the quiet snores were anything to go by.

The Finn didn't even wake up when he was placed on the bed, half stirring before curling up once more. He was clutching the swede's shirt in his sleep and it didn't seem like he'd be letting go anytime soon. Berwald didn't complain though, merely sinking down beside him and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

He gazed at Tino's sleeping face tenderly, eyes memorising the way his lips were slightly parted and how his free arm had managed to partially cover his jaw as he curled up. He truly did look angelic in Berwald's eyes and he thanked whatever gods were watching over him that the Finn had been returned to him, that he'd actually gone and said those three little but so meaningful words.

.o.)O(.o.

"Do you think it's really him? That it's over?" Lukas murmured softly. He felt the body he was leaning against move in what had to be a shrug.

"I don't know… I want to hope so but only time will tell…" Matthias answered seriously. They were both sitting in the lounge trying to think everything through.

"You sound so serious… no offense but it's weird." The Norwegian noted with a sigh as the other raised an eyebrow, twisting to look at his mate.

"Normally you complain I'm not serious enough. Why the change?"

Lukas shrugged, "I complain about a lot of things if you haven't noticed… I don't always mean it… I don't like it when you're like this…"

The Dane's lips were pursed as he looked at his mate tenderly. His hands going up to touch the hair clip the Norwegian always wore. "Like when you claimed to hate this the day I bought for you?" he teased.

Lukas gave him a half-hearted glare. "Yes… like that…"

"You never take it off. I haven't seen you without it in over two centuries…"

"What's that meant to mean?"

Matthias merely smiled, unclipping it and laying it aside so that Lukas's hair fell in his face. "Just that I wouldn't mind seeing you like this for a change." He said simply, running his fingers through the dark blonde locks. The Norwegian sighed, leaning into the touch in an odd display of affection.

"I can never tell what goes on in that head of yours." He mumbled as the Dane leant forward to kiss him. Matthias didn't respond for several long moments, choosing to kiss him rather than answer straight away.

"You know better than most."

Lukas rolled his eyes. "You're such an idiot…" he murmured before closing the distance between them once more.

.o.)O(.o.

The first thing Tino was aware of was a warm body pressed against his. The second thing was just how tender his skin felt when he tried to cuddle closer.

He hissed softly as he put pressure on the numerous bruises across his body. The cuts from his mad dash through both a door and a window had all but completely healed but the dark patches of skin appeared to need a bit more time. His wrists and throat stung slightly indicating that the silver burns were also taking a bit longer to fade.

"Ya 'kay?" Berwald murmured, stirring at the hiss. He was pleased to note that Tino didn't flinch at his words, choosing instead to shrug.

"…remind me not to run through a window again." The Finn grumbled, wincing as he poked one of the violet blemishes.

"…ya do seem ta be makin' it ya s'gnature move…" the swede murmured with a slight chuckle that made the smaller blonde stare at him.

"Are you… teasing me?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"Tino, ya've run through two w'ndows 'nd one door in the time ah've known ya."

"So? I'm your mate! You're not meant to tease me! And the door doesn't count!" Tino protested, a small pout on his lips.

Berwald was still smiling; leaning forward to lightly kiss his mate's forehead and making him blush slightly. "s'rry… what can ah do ta make up fer it?"

The Finn frowned, thinking about it as his stomach growled. "I'll forgive you if you make me breakfast?" he asked sheepishly.

The swede rolled his eyes, grabbing his glasses from where he'd set them during the night. "alrigh', what do ya want?"

"Food? I don't care…" Tino murmured, hesitantly getting out of bed. He was hungry he would admit but the bed was comfortable. Berwald waited patiently though as he took a few minutes to get half way presentable.

He wasn't quite ready to allow Tino out of his sight yet…

.o.)O(.o.

"Tino? You might want to slow down before you choke…" Emil warned. The entire pack was watching in shock as the Finn gulped down several Swedish pancakes in quick succession.

The small blonde paused, looking slightly sheepish. "I'm hungry… you guys didn't exactly feed me…"

"That's because you had other ideas on what a good meal would be." Lukas argued, spearing a pancake before Tino could finish them all off.

"…I plead temporary insanity! I can't be held responsible for my actions!" the Finn protested.

Matthias shrugged as everyone laughed, even Berwald giving a slight chuckle. "He has a point…" he grinned, grabbing Lukas's wrist to take a bite of the pancake that was on his fork. The Norwegian rolled his eyes, elbowing him in the side once he let go.

It was almost as though the previous weeks hadn't occurred at first glimpse. It was only when one looked closer that one could see the wariness in Matthias's eyes as he glanced at Tino and the way Berwald never left his side.

It would take time for them to return to how they were before but as the day passed without the Finn lapsing the other's slowly calmed.

.o.)O(.o.

It was possible to imagine Kaoru's wolf form's tail wagging when the Asian pack arrived. He was thrilled to see his old pack again even if he was happy with Emil. The old house was crowded now, all the packs having gathered after hearing the news.

At first they'd been distrustful of Tino but they'd slowly started to relax as much as several different packs could when in one another's territory. It had taken some work but they were now convinced that the Finn was no longer possessed.

"So it's that simple da? All that needs to happen is for the hellhound to attack his or her mate?"

"Ja, but there's one problem with that Ivan." Ludwig mused. "Arthur and whoever this other wolf is don't have mates."

"So this information is practically useless? What the hell did you drag us out here for then?" Lovino spat, shrinking slightly when the more dominant wolves turned their gaze on him. He may have spoken big but he had no interest in backing up that bluff.

"Why hunt for the hellhounds when we can get them at their source?" Matthias hinted making the room lapse into silence.

"What are you going on about aru?" Yao asked. He still seemed to dislike the Dane after losing Kaoru to him.

"Vampires. They're the only ones capable of calling a hell hound without personal risk. At the moment there are only three of them with the potential to do so." Lukas explained when Matthias glanced at him.

The others looked thoughtful, catching their pack mates' eyes as they murmured amongst themselves.

"You intend to question them until you find the one responsible eh?" Matthew asked, surprising several people who hadn't realised he was there.

Berwald nodded, speaking for his pack. "Ja, we do."

"How so? I assume that since you called us all here you want our help." Roderich sniffed. "What would you have us do? Split up and question them?"

"And have the same thing that happened last time happen again? No thanks!" Matthias grinned. "No I want us to go at this together. We have strength in numbers after all."

"Ve? You want to work together?" Feliciano frowned, voicing everyone's confusion.

"We've been doing so up till now, why shouldn't we go further if it means guaranteeing all our safety?" Emil argued.

There was silence as the Icelandic wolf's words were considered. Everywhere there was the same conclusion being drawn.

They may not like it but they had no choice.

"So dudes, where's our first stop?" Alfred grinned.

"Bucharest, Romania. The last I heard that was where Vladimir was and if he isn't, one of his coven may be and can tell us where he's gone." Matthias explained.

All around them everyone was nodding, determination glinting in their eyes. They finally had a lead to follow.

**A/N2: long chapter is long… though something tells me you guys don't mind :) next chapter we go after some vamps and a pair of hell hounds! What can go wrong?**

**I now have two baby pink-tongued skinks called Walnut and Peanut which were found wandering around the house :) we decided to make a home for them in the old fish tank so that the kookaburras don't eat them. They're adorable~**

**Review replies:**

**Major: I think such a thing is certain :) I've still got at least three more chapters plus more if I ramble! I guess it could be thought of like that with Kaoru and Emil, though it's more like they own each other since they're mates. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Keiron: yep Tino's A-Okay! I have an idea for a Usuk horror/sci-fi/romance where a government is trying to create a race of super soldiers one of which is Alfred who manages to escape but might not be able to trust the man helping him. That's the plan at least; have to finish this one first. Thanks for the review!**

**Awesome person: glad you think so! Ja, it's only Tino in there now :) thanks for the review!**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: I managed to ramble again… and start with a vampire song for a change instead of one that mentions wolves, dogs or monsters.**

**Deon is an OC from my Nanowrimo novel who I decided to turn into a vampire for this chapter. He was an asshole in Dragonborne and he's an asshole as a vampire. Fangs don't do much when it comes to needing an attitude adjustment… I contemplated a few of my other characters for the role but Mason and Baldwin are both too nice for the role and Saldor scares me enough as a human…**

_Let me weep you this poem as heavens gates close_

_Paint you my soul, scarred and alone_

_Waiting for your kiss to take me back home_

_Hold me_

_Like you held onto life_

_When all fears came alive and entombed me_

_Love me_

_Like you love the sun_

_Scorching the blood in my vampire heart_

_Vampire heart- HIM_

Tino's first glimpse of Romania surprised him. He hadn't expected the country that had inspired Dracula to be so beautiful. The glimpses he'd gained of the Carpathian Mountains and undisturbed wilderness whilst in the plane made the part of him that was lupine want to whine with longing.

He glanced around nervously to check for any unwelcome ears before looking to Berwald. There weren't any humans within several seats which would have caused mass panic had everyone been aware of how inhuman some of the passengers were. "Who controls Romania? Is it Ludwig? Or maybe Sadiq or Ivan?" he asked, contemplating the land distribution around the country. He was envious of whoever held the territory.

Berwald frowned slightly; he was on edge from being confined on a small plane and surrounded by other werewolves and welcomed the distraction. "No pack holds R'mania. It b'longs Vlad'mir." He explained. "vamp'res don' like ta share any more than we do so Ludw'g grante' him the country as territ'ry centuries ago."

Tino nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer. He'd assumed that vampires behaved in the same manner as werewolves but not that they divided territory alongside the werewolves. He'd assumed that the vampire territories overlapped the lupine ones. "Pity… it looks like it would be fun to run here…"

The swede nodded, it was the first time he'd truly seen the country but he had to agree. He just hated the idea of having to fly to get here. Maybe it was from being from an era where ships and horses were the only way to travel but he'd never been all that fond of planes. He'd go on them when necessary but he was never at ease on them like a lot of the older wolves.

Matthias was one of the few older werewolves who were actually okay with being in an aircraft. He was completely calm in comparison to Ludwig who'd snap at anyone who came near him or Antonio who would curse in outdated Spanish when the plane hit turbulence. The only others in the same state of mind as the Dane were Ivan (who was currently trying to soothe Yao) and Alfred (who was irritating anyone, human or werewolf, within hearing range).

The younger werewolves weren't quite as perturbed, having known of no other way to travel or being too young to prefer the older methods. Tino was completely relaxed, just a little bit bored from being in the air for too long. The Finn was twitching from having to sit still, going from trying to convince Berwald to speak with him before twisting in his seat to annoy Lukas who was sitting behind him. Emil was spared the same treatment courtesy of being asleep with his head on his mate's shoulder as Kaoru read in the seats behind Matthias and Lukas.

The Norwegian was starting to have a continuous glare on his face because of it and Matthias's behaviour from beside him. From what Berwald could make out the Dane was trying to convince the shorter wolf to accompany him to the bathroom with what could only be described as a devious smirk.

All the swede could do was be thankful that they would be landing soon.

.o.)O(.o.

"How's the stomach Berwald?" Matthias teased upon landing. The swede glared at him murderously.

"ya know it's not like tha'… ah jus' don' like flyin'…" he protested. He knew full well that the Dane knew that flying didn't make him feel sick just uneasy but the joke never seemed to get old to him.

Tino frowned at the comment, staring at his mate in concern. "You're scared of flying?" he asked, unsure of how he'd failed to pick up on this. Granted a lot of things sometimes slipped by unnoticed so it shouldn't have been that surprising.

Berwald shook his head, his eyes showing a flash of embarrassment. "no, ah jus' don' like flyin' much… ah'm not the only one…" he grumbled. The Finn just smiled sympathetically, wrapping his arm around the Swede's waist in an affectionate display that he no longer had trouble expressing. He didn't want his mate to believe that he didn't care like the hellhound had tried to convince him.

He suspected the other appreciated the gesture.

Lukas interrupted before Matthias could comment any further. "Matthias, enough. We have better things to do than tease Berwald about his fear of flying." He protested before walking off to join Emil and Kaoru at the check-out counter. The Dane looked torn between following his mate or continuing to tease the swede but quickly chose to chase after his mate.

"There's nothing wrong with being scared of flying…" Tino murmured comfortingly once they too joined the queue made up almost completely of werewolves. "Everyone's scared of something."

"Ah jus' prefer ships…" Berwald grumbled. He didn't think he was going to convince anyone that it wasn't fear though.

.o.)O(.o.

"Why are we stopping here?" Kaoru asked as Matthias pulled their rental car up to the side of the road. He could see other cars doing the same further ahead and behind them. They'd left the city behind them and were now in the countryside amongst larger properties and estates.

"The place that Vladimir owns is pretty out of the way to keep curious neighbours away so they don't realise that he hasn't aged." Emil explained before anyone else could. He'd done some research into the vampire they were going after before their flight.

"The driveway isn't exactly made for cars like these either." Lukas noted, staring distastefully at the potholed condition of the driveway.

Tino blinked as he saw the other werewolves getting out of their respective cars and doing a quick check for curious humans before shifting. "We're going as wolves?" he asked in shock.

"Yep, bit faster that way!" Matthias grinned, "Now hurry up before Ludwig gets his tail in a twist and the vamps are able to get the hell out of dodge." He ordered getting out of the car as a massive pale grey wolf growled in their direction with a smaller reddish brown wolf at his side. There were dozens of wolves milling around the cars now, almost all of the werewolves having shifted already.

The Finn chuckled slightly as he moved to obey, he couldn't help but consider what the locals would think if they drove by to see such a massive gathering of large predators. Apparently Matthias wished to find out because the second he'd changed shape he tilted his head back and howled.

_Matthias! Have you lost it? Do you want to get the human's attention?_ Lukas snapped as all around them other wolves picked up the eerie howling. Tino couldn't tell who was who like this; only able to recognise the few werewolves he'd previously seen as wolves as well as people.

_Just making sure the vampires know we're coming, they can't run now but I'd rather not take them by too much surprise… at least this should wake them up. _The Dane explained. The howls were deafening now, all but a few wolves yet to join the unwavering melody. There was defiance in their calls, warning as well.

The Norwegian sighed, shaking his head before raising his own muzzle to howl along with his and the other packs. Tino was howling like a banshee beside the far calmer Berwald, Emil and Kaoru's coats contrasting as they stood side by side and added their voices to the song.

They only ceased when their keen hearing picked up on a distant car, bolting into the unconquered wilderness bordering the vampire's driveway before the vehicle came within sight. When the driver came to where they had been there was no trace of them but for a few paw prints in the dirt.

.o.)O(.o.

If Tino had thought that running as a pack of five (now six) had been exhilarating it had nothing on running amidst a pack of thirty nine. The breeze ran loving fingers through their fur as they raced playfully, sometimes against their pack mates but sometimes against complete strangers. The run unleashed the playful side of most of them as a young female wolf, even smaller than the Finn, nipped at his tail playfully before a stockier male growled and came between them. It was obvious he was protective of the smaller werewolf, possibly his mate Tino mused as his ears came back apologetically.

That was the only problem with running with other packs, the lack of communication. Body language could only go so far after all, they quickly realised. Whilst a good portion of the wolves were playful some were too intent on other things to enjoy themselves.

An albino wolf Tino recognized as Gilbert drew blood from a large grey wolf's flank when the wolf in question came between him and an almost identical smaller wolf he was getting too close to. The reddish brown wolf the Finn had seen earlier was constantly getting underfoot and earning growls from a similar but darker coloured wolf which quickly led to the pale grey wolf Tino assumed was Ludwig glowering at him.

Other than those few mishaps though the run went without too many hitches.

No-one killed anyone at least.

.o.)O(.o.

When they eventually made it to the house owned by Vladimir they were all mainly in one piece. The house itself was slightly ominous looking in Tino's opinion as he examined it. It was a manor several centuries old, in relatively good condition for its age if the weathered grey stone of its exterior was anything to go by. The windows were pitch black though, the sunlight kept at bay with thick black out curtains. There was the slight odour of something dead permeating the air.

He glanced up when the wolf he'd suspected of being Ludwig shifted back and proved him correct. The German glanced around at them thoughtfully before glancing back at the house. "Antonio, Matthias, Ivan, Alfred, Sadiq, Yao and Jett? You guys change back, the rest of you stay as you are." He ordered.

The Dane sighed. _Now I remember why I hate him… always trying to run the show… _he grumbled. He listened though after a bit more complaining, changing back and crossing his arms as he contemplated the German alpha. The majority of the alphas seemed to share a similar attitude to Matthias on being ordered around.

"Are we all going to go in there? Or just us?" Antonio asked, he seemed to be the only one not fussed by the orders.

"All of us I think. I don't know how many vampires are in there." Ludwig stated as the others sighed and nodded.

The door was unlocked when they reached it but no-one came out to greet them, only when the hallway was filled with a mix of furry lupine bodies and a few humans did a voice ring out. "I'd appreciate it if you were to close the door. And please ask those dogs of yours to refrain from shedding on the furniture; I have better things to do with my time than clean this place."

It took a bit of skill to clamber over the tight mess of bodies and close the door without slamming anyone's tail in it but somehow Sadiq managed, plunging them momentarily into darkness until a light flicked on.

"Was it necessary to bring so many of you?" the voice scoffed again. Tino struggled to see past the larger wolves but was eventually greeted with the sight of a serious man who had been in his late thirties when turned. His hair was grey at the temples but otherwise black while his skin was as pale as snow. When he spoke he revealed sharply pointed canines.

"We apologise Deon but this is urgent business." Ludwig growled warily. "Is Vladimir here?"

"No he is not. Whatever it is you mutts want to say can be said to me if you'd care to join me in the lounge before I kick your asses to the curb. If you insist on disturbing my rest with your ruckus and nudity whilst making my home stink of dog for weeks on end we may as well do it in comfort… just make it quick, I don't want to have to deal with you uncivilised curs any longer than necessary."

**A/N2: And yet another long chapter :) I love writing the wolf scenes! And I've just posted a side story to this one called 'Every dog has his day'. It's set several centuries before HOTD and focuses on Lovino and Feliciano. It won't be as long as this story but some of you might find their history with the Eastern European pack interesting.**

**Yes I added a bit of a head cannon of the older werewolves disliking flying. And can you blame them? Wolves don't like being restrained to that extent and most of them have spent the majority of their lives travelling by ship, train or horse. Airplanes must be nerve-wracking in that regard.**

**The young female wolf was Lilly while the stocky and protective one was Vash. The one Gilbert bit was Alfred while the almost identical wolf was Matthew. The reddish brown wolves were Feliciano and Lovino.**

**Review replies:**

**Shahi: don't worry; I have a plan for them both. Bad stuff will happen but it will all come right in the end! Some good stories I've found so far would be: 'No such thing as coincidence' and 'fourteen days' by Kuro-Riya, 'The Future' by Bluest-Of-Jayys, 'teacher's pet' by GiveUpResistance, 'cheers to a new life' by Tora-Star, 'Sigh No More' by Alvar Cunnings and 'Silent Love' by ToraKU. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy those ones!**

**Keiron: fluffiness is good that's for sure! Ja, danke's correct. I don't speak German except for when I curse (that's what I get for hanging out with Germans over the past year) but I've picked up on enough. Ja, even if my rambling pushed the vampire scene to the end in order to drag it out over two chapters rather than the intended one. Thanks for the review!**

**Foreign Language: ja, I guess over the centuries it becomes more of a 'well I'm not wasting a good meal…' and 'I can't be bothered to hunt deer…' instead of the typical 'oh shit…' reaction most people would have. I probably would have jumped out of the car too! I do in fact like UsUk but I ship practically every possible pairing. Don't worry, I don't hate Arthur, he just did something stupid… you'll just have to wait and see if you're correct or if I have another devious plot twist in mind :) Glad you liked it! Thanks for the reviews!**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: you know how I mentioned I'd find out about going to university? Ja, turns out fate is a bitch of note. All three rejected me. So I feel shitty and useless so I'm going to turn to the one thing that has yet to forsake me, writing.**

**I have a job interview later and I might take a few online courses (I've found an editing and proof reading course along with an art one) but my original plan has been torn to shreds and I can't bring myself to pick up a pencil and draw.**

_Be careful of the curse that falls on young lovers_

_Starts so soft and sweet and turns them to hunters_

_A man who's pure of heart and says his prayers by night_

_May still become a wolf when the autumn moon is bright_

_If you could only see the beast you've made of me_

_I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free_

_The saints can't help me now, the ropes have been unbound_

_I hunt for you with bloody feet across the hallowed ground_

_Howl- Florence and the machine_

Deon gazed coolly at the gathered alphas, completely ignoring the wolves that were milling around. He had withdrawn his fangs but still portrayed an imposing image as he fixed his cold grey eyes on the werewolves. They appeared to be in a stand-off of sorts, neither side willing to back down.

"Care to tell me your reason for being here? I assume it is not a social call." He smirked unblinkingly.

"We're here to see your master, tell us where he is and we'll get out of your hair…" Ludwig growled. Gilbert snarled in agreement from near his brother, lips pulling back to reveal ivory fangs. The sight did nothing to unnerve the vampire though.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that dog. My master would have my head if I revealed his location." He seemed respectful of Vladimir but his face twisted slightly at the word master. He displayed nothing but contempt for Ludwig though, not even bothering to disguise it. "Tell me what is you wish to tell him and I'll ensure the message is passed on."

Tino shivered at the cold and cunning tone, pressing closer to Berwald to feel the comforting warmth of his fur. _Are all vampires like this? _He murmured as his mate nuzzled him, the larger wolf not taking his eyes off of Deon.

_Some of them. Deon's always been arrogant though… _the swede grumbled.

"We can do this the painless way or we can force it out of you." Ivan offered cheerfully. He seemed completely unperturbed by the idea of torture.

"And you can be polite or I will show you and your pack of mutts the door. You are in my home and you will display the respect I deserve. Now hand over the message or get the hell out."

Matthias sighed, glancing at the corner of the room where his pack waited before choosing to speak. It didn't seem that threats and demands were going to get them anywhere. "We wish to speak to Vladimir about a hellhound running amuck." He said, eyes watching Deon for any reaction.

The vampire only smirked though, looking contemplative. "Ah the hellhounds… I've heard rumours about them, are the three of them proving too tough for you?"

Alfred frowned at his words. "We only hinted at a single hellhound, what makes you assume there are more?" he mused. "What do you know about this?"

"Clever boy mutt, remind me to give you a treat." Deon murmured before glancing at the gathered wolves. "Aye, I do know a fair amount of what's going on… the question is what will you give me to tell you?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

"What are your demands Deon?" Ludwig sighed as the alphas looked at one another thoughtfully and nodded. "Perhaps we can come to a deal."

"Let's see… territory is a big selling point for me. I want Romania along with three big cities in each of your own lands. I serve Vladimir out of duty not loyalty so perhaps that will convince me to sell him out to you."

"Very well aru… we'll sort something out. Now tell us what we wish to know." Yao forced out. None of the wolves were keen on giving away what was theirs.

"That isn't all. If the others learn that I sold Vladimir out they will be screaming for my head, especially his consort Nikolas. I will want them both taken out of the picture and… protection." His gaze went past the werewolves in human form to run over the lupine individuals, pausing on the largest individuals among them. "I want at least five werewolves of my own choosing to be placed within my service."

There was silence before the room exploded in a loud uproar of snarls and shouts. It was impossible to tell who was shouting what; even Tino's own thoughts were crowded with his pack mates' rapid curses and protests as he voiced his own.

"Enough!" Ludwig roared, forcing the room into silence as he turned on the smirking Deon. "We can give you all but that last request." He snarled.

"Well I guess you'll need to look elsewhere for your information then." The vampire sighed. "Those are my terms and I will not break from them."

Ivan was looking positively murderous now as he spoke up. "Might I suggest we send the others out as we discuss this?" he said making several wolves snap in his direction at the suggestion.

"I think that would be prudent." Deon smirked, triumph in his grey eyes as he laced his fingers together.

"If you think so Ivan but I tell you right now that I will not sell my pack like common dogs." Antonio warned, he gave a curt nod in his pack's direction as a red brown individual whined in protest. "But I do request that Francis be allowed to remain."

"If that's the case than I expect the same rights for Ki- I mean James." Jett growled. He didn't seem keen on using his mate's nickname in front of Deon.

Ivan nodded in agreement. "Da, I think all of our betas should be present for this."

"Very well, send the rest of the mutts out and we'll discuss this."

Tino glanced up at Berwald with a whimper. _You'll be okay won't you? _He asked.

The swede sighed, licking between his mate's ears fondly. _Of course I will, now go._

The Finn whined but turned away from his larger mate to follow after Lukas who was glowering in Matthias's direction. Only when the room was completely empty of all the other wolves did Ivan look back at Deon.

"We did warn you to choose the painless way…"

.o.)O(.o.

Lukas was pacing in his human form outside the manor; completely ignoring Emil's questioning glances. The pale wolf went from watching his pack mate pace to glancing back at the house. Kaoru lay beside him, eyes on Tino who had his head on his paws and wouldn't look away from the formidable building. Although the others' scents were rich in the air they weren't in sight, all preferring to keep to their own packs.

"I can't believe he'd be so stupid as to send us away! What if he runs into trouble that he and Berwald can't handle? The other packs don't give a rat's ass about him!"

_Are you sure he'll be alright? Deon seemed very confident… what if they decide that we're not worth as much as the information we need?_

Emil sighed, turning his gaze to his mate. _I'll take care of Lukas if you calm Tino down… _he grumbled as he stood.

The black wolf nodded in response, watching the pale wolf shift before moving over to the panicking Finn. _Tino, relax. Nothing like that would ever happen. Yao would never give one of us up like that and from what I've seen Matthias feels the same._

_But what if Deon attacks them? What if there are other vampires in the house?_

_There aren't, we would have smelt them. Deon doesn't seem social enough anyway._

Tino whined anxiously none the less, not even noticing Emil force Lukas to stand still as he tried to calm him. _But what-_

He paused as a scream split the air, leaping up with his ears pinned back. He quickly realised it wasn't Berwald or Matthias by the pitch but he was still panicked. He looked ready to leap into the house before Emil twisted away from Lukas to grab the scruff of his neck and hold him back.

_It's not any of us, just relax. _Kaoru ordered, growling softly until the Finn relaxed. There was the faint odour of blood in the air as there was another screech of pain.

_You're sure? _

_Scent the air Tino. That blood isn't werewolf in origin…_

.o.)O(.o.

It took an hour before the screams and enraged shouts vanished into silence. Matthias was one of the first out the door, wiping a few beads of blood from his arm before fending off Lukas's furious punches. None of them were designed to hurt, merely to display just how pissed off the Norwegian was at being forced to leave his mate in a dangerous situation.

Tino didn't notice that though, his eyes seeking out Berwald before racing over to him. The swede was human but crouched to stroke his mate's head as the Finn took a moment to shift back and hug him tightly.

"Are you okay? What happened? You didn't get hurt did you? Oh god you did, I know it!"

Berwald sighed, waiting for a break in which to speak. "Tino ah'm f'ne. We jus' had ta p'rsuade Deon ta speak…"

"What happened?"

"Tino, ya don't wan' ta know… he told us though, Vladim'r's in Barcel'na."

"…you killed him didn't you?"

"…ja we staked him… he woul' have killed us otherw'se…"

Tino wasn't sure what to think of that. He didn't like the idea of killing Deon but if it meant Berwald and the others being safe he supposed he could live with it. He wouldn't be happy with the knowledge but it could be bearable.

**A/N2: would it be malicious of me to say that I enjoyed torturing and killing Deon? Good source of stress relief, especially seeing as I have been longing to strangle his traitorous and vindictive self since he first came into Dragonborne.**

**Review replies:**

**Shahi: agreed, I've always preferred werewolves to vampires and Deon has always been an arrogant piece of shit. No worries, just so you know since I forgot to mention it, 'the future' is actually a prequel to an older story by the same author. 'Top model' is mainly DenNor with side Sufin but is also brilliant. Thanks for the review!**

**Guest: don't worry, he isn't :) I also feel bad about Arthur if that helps, he should turn up next chapter or the one after that if I ramble. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Keiron: ja he was always arrogant even in Dragonborne, malicious too when it came down to it but less obviously than his rival. Ah yes, Prussia and Viagra don't mix… I don't know what to think of myself for writing that either if it helps? It was so worth it though! Thanks for the review!**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: and thirty chapters later Tino finally decides to stop living in denial. Yep, we've got smut ahead folks!**

**There's also mention of exactly what happened to Deon, nothing too graphic unless you use your imagination :)**

_You were licking your lips and your lipstick shining_

_I was dying just to ask for a taste_

_We were lying together in a silver lining_

_By the light of the moon_

_You know there's not another moment to waste_

_And then you took the words right out of my mouth_

_Oh- it must have been while you were kissing me_

_You took the words right out of my mouth_

_And I swear it's true_

_I was just about to say I love you_

_You took the words right out of my mouth- meatloaf_

Tino wasn't sure what to think when they arrived at the hotel the Nordic pack would be staying in for the night. The packs had all separated to wait out the time before their next flight so he had no idea where the others were. They'd parted on good terms at least; all too pleased with what they'd learned to bother trying to kill one another.

They had gained information which was definitely good. But to do so they had had to stoop to torture and murder… he sighed, he could understand why they'd had to do what they did but it still didn't sit right with him.

"Tino? Are ya okay?" Berwald asked, concern in his eyes as he unlocked their room. Lukas and Matthias were further down the hall along with Emil and Kaoru.

"Hmmm? Joo… I guess so…" Tino murmured, glancing up to meet his mate's eyes. He supposed that his pack's safety was worth the death of a vampire (especially one who'd seemed as cruel as Deon). "Just thinking…"

"On what?" the swede asked, leading the way into their room. He locked the door behind him out of habit; living with Matthias for as long as he had had left him with that quirk. He'd lost count of the amount of times the Dane had snuck into his room to irritate him.

"Deon. It was necessary wasn't it? You didn't have any other choice right?"

"Ja, we didn'… he would have hunt'd us down if he liv'd. 'Nd we needed ta know where Vladim'r is. We could all die if this carries on…" he explained.

Tino nodded, sitting down on the bed. "…I see… how did you do it?" he asked. He wasn't sure he wanted to know but he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"are ya sure ya wan' ta know?"

The Finn shook his head. "…not really but I still want to know."

Berwald looked thoughtful, if not hesitant about telling him. He knew that Tino hadn't gained the lack of concern for loss of life that took several decades to gain. He was still new to this; life was still precious to him. He sighed though; he couldn't lie or hide things from him. "Sunligh'. We held his limbs down 'nd forc'd parts of him ta be exposed ta the sun… it burns 'em 'nd can kill them if they're expos'd fer too long." he admitted.

Tino stiffened at the imagery, unsure of how to respond. "…then what?"

"He told us what he knew 'nd Matthias 'nd Ludw'g held him down while Ivan stak'd him. It was fas'…" he added. It was true; the eventual death had been quick even if the torture had been anything but.

The Finn was silent for so long that Berwald wasn't sure what to do. It was several long minutes before he spoke.

"He would have killed you if he were left alive wouldn't he?"

The swede nodded. "ja." He wasn't sure where Tino was going with this.

"Then I guess I'm glad you did it…" he mumbled, hugging the tall blonde tightly as he sighed. "I don't know what I would do without you… I realise that now. I guess I was always just too stubborn to admit I loved you from the beginning…"

"Ah love ya too Tino." Berwald murmured, lightly stroking his mate's hair.

Tino smiled, glancing up sheepishly to meet blue green eyes. They remained like that for a moment before the Finn hesitantly brushed his lips against his mate's. It was chaste at first, simple soft pressure and synced movements. The swede's fingers ran through the smaller blonde's hair, tangling in the silky strands.

It steadily deepened though, Berwald lightly nipping at Tino's bottom lip as he took control of the kiss. It was several moments before they broke apart, the Finn panting slightly with a flushed face. Somewhere along the line the smaller blonde had ended up straddling the Swede's thighs which made the smaller boy blush even further.

Berwald gave a small smile, brushing his fingers against Tino's hot cheeks. "R'lax Tino…" he breathed. "We don' have ta do anythin'…"

The Finn just went darker at the thought, laughing nervously. "Tomorrow we go after a pair of hellhounds and some vampires though… what if something goes wrong? I-I want to… in case we don't get another-" he mumbled before gasping as the swede kissed and nibbled at his throat.

"Nothin' will go wrong… ah prom'se…" he murmured softly, feeling Tino's pulse fluttering beneath thin skin.

The smaller blonde shivered slightly, hands gripping Berwald's shoulders tightly as the swede's moved down to grip his hips. He continued abusing Tino's neck and throat, hands shifting the Finn's shirt to stroke the skin of his stomach and waist.

Tino bit back a small moan as his skin was teased, head tilting back to expose more of his throat which was readily taken advantage of. He wasn't entirely sure of when he was turned around so that he was against the bed, one moment he'd been on Berwald's lap the next he was lying on the bed, his shirt being pulled off of him.

He was panting as the swede went for his pants and underwear, instinctively trying to cover himself as his erection met the air. Berwald chuckled softly, grabbing his wrists gently. "It's okay Tino… r'lax…" he murmured, voice husky.

Tino nodded shakily, relaxing slightly as he broke the swede's grip to remove his mate's shirt. His slim fingers traced Berwald's muscles hesitantly before moving to take care of his pants and boxers. He still felt awkward and embarrassed but instinct was beginning to take over.

He moaned as he felt a hand on his length, his eyes half lidded as he gasped out his mate's name. He didn't care that they had no lubricant on them. All he cared about was the feel of Berwald against his bare skin, the way his firm muscles held on to him, the teasing touches on his body.

There was no way to deny that this felt right to him, he felt complete like this.

.o.)O(.o.

"There's no sign of any of them Vlad…" Nikolas grumbled, arms crossed against his chest. "The vampires we sent to keep an eye on them have all lost them when they got on a flight to Romania."

Vladimir sighed, rolling his eyes. "They'll turn up love, the hell hounds will take care of them when they do."

"And if they don't? If they've figured out that we're behind this? I haven't heard anything from Deon and he isn't answering the phone."

"Forget Deon, he's an ass and I'll tell him off later. We're in Barcelona for the first time in over a thousand years Nikolas, the least you could do is smile."

"Not until I'm sure that we'll be safe. This isn't a lone werewolf or even a single pack we're up against, this is all the packs." The Bulgarian growled.

Vladimir sighed again, sitting up from where he'd previously been lounging. "Arthur?" he called, waiting expectantly as the hellhound entered the room.

"You called?"

"Yes, I want you to call Peter back and for both of you to remain here for the time being. Kill any wolves that come sniffing around you understand?" he ordered.

The British man nodded, giving a slight bow before leaving. "As you wish, I shall do so."

The Romanian smiled, glancing at his consort. "See? All sorted."

"I don't trust those dogs Vlad… allow me to call the others and bring them here as a precaution." Nikolas said, staring after Arthur distastefully as Vladimir pouted.

"You just have to ruin our first true holiday as a couple don't you…"

"If it keeps us alive I won't regret doing so."

**A/N2: ja, even Vladimir thinks that Deon was an ass and he created him! And I really hate it when my dad walks past my room and asks me what I'm writing at the exact moment I write something smutty… **

**We are approaching the climax people! On one side we have thirty nine werewolves on the other an ancient vampire and his coven and a pair of hell hounds! Will they get through this unscathed? Will anyone die or be maimed? *evil laughter* that is the question!**

**I put up another sufin one-shot as well for Shade's Shadow since she was the 200****th**** reviewer. It's sweet, fluffy and hasn't got any angst in it at all! Yes I'm self-advertising again!**

**Review replies:**

**Shahi: ja, I'm typically a fairly fast writer and it's not like I have anything better to do… I'm definitely happy with the number of reviews that's for sure! Over 200 of them which is definitely reasonable for one of the Nordic pairings :) I'd probably get more if I updated less frequently but then I'd be sitting around bored as hell… ja Deon was an ass, I've had to put up with him for over 55000 words in dragonborne and he's still kicking so killing him here was very satisfying. Thanks for the review!**

**Keiron: well they definitely persuaded him, he would have been burnt to almost a crisp when they were done :) next up is the final show down in Barcelona! Thanks for the review!**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: you have no idea how weird it is to write Lukas now that I've started a DenNor back story to this one. Now that I know exactly what his bond to Emil is based on and what he lost because of Matthias it makes it so weird and slightly sad to consider because you can guess exactly what goes through his mind when he's mad at his mate... **

**The side story is "breaking gleipnir" and is set the year Lukas was turned along with covering how Berwald became a werewolf and will later cover what Emil is to Lukas as well as the Norwegian's magical mishap. So check it out if you're interested!**

**There's also a spamano and gerita back story up as well called "every dog has his day". There'll be a short one for Arthur and Francis's history eventually as well.**

_Come with bright eyes a-flashing_

_Come with your dark hounds crashing_

_Come rend the sky asunder_

_Come with the rain and thunder_

_Break all that lies before you_

_Take all that dies around you_

_Ride with the hounds of hell_

_Fly with the hounds of hell_

_Take me to the wild hunt_

_Break me with the wild chase_

_Take me with the wild hunt_

_Take me riding wildly with the wild hunt now_

_Wild hunt- inkubus sukkubus_

It took a moment for Tino to remember what had happened the previous night as he woke up. It was still early to the extent that there was still very little light outside. He sighed softly, nuzzling the bare chest he was lying on. His ass hurt a bit, they were both naked and the sheets were dirty but he didn't care, he was fairly comfortable as he was.

Berwald's arm wrapped around him to hold him even closer, tracing patterns on his bare skin. "Are ya awake?" he asked softly.

The Finn gave a sleepy grumble in response before tilting his head up to meet the Swede's gaze. The taller blonde had yet to put his glasses on and it made him look surprisingly different. "Joo…" he yawned, intertwining their hands lazily. "I don't have to get up yet do I?"

He smiled, giving his mate a quick kiss. "Nej, not yet. We only have ta meet the others at eigh' thirty…" he explained.

Tino smiled in response, laying his head back down against Berwald's chest. "Do we have to?"

"Ja Tino."

The Finn sighed softly before pouting. "I don't want to…"

"Ah know…" the swede chuckled, still lightly tracing against the smaller blonde's back. "We don' have a choice though."

Tino grumbled something inaudible, looking slightly irritated with the prospect before lifting his head again. "But I want to sleep…"

"We can take a shower if that will help wake ya up?"

The Finn raised an eyebrow, looking as though he thought the swede had gone mad. He saw no reason why a shower was better than lying in a comfortable bed with a naked Swedish werewolf. "No thanks… I'll stay here."

"'nd if ah meant showerin' with me?"

Berwald had never seen someone get out of bed so quickly in his life.

.o.)O(.o.

"Well it's about time!" Matthias grinned as Tino and Berwald joined the rest of the pack for breakfast. His eyes had immediately gone to the Finn's dishevelled appearance and his occasional wince when he walked.

Lukas sighed beside him. "Leave them be Matthias…" he grumbled, digging into his breakfast. "It's too early for your nonsense."

Emil raised an eyebrow. "It's nine o'clock Lukas." He hinted.

"Yes but you didn't have this asshole keeping you up all goddamn night."

"C'mon Norge! You enjoyed it as much as I did!" Matthias protested before turning back to Berwald. "So how was it? Was he as good as you expected? Give us the dirty details!" he grinned as Tino went scarlet.

"Matthias… I don't think this is a good breakfast topic…" Kaoru hinted, feeling embarrassed for the Finn. The small blonde looked like he wanted to sink into the floor for the rest of eternity.

"Agreed. Ah'm not discussin' this." Berwald grumbled with a glare in the Dane's direction.

Matthias merely pouted though. "What? It's not like you and Emil weren't going at it as well! I could hear you from down the hall! Of course that was before Lukas started making enough noise to drown you guys out…" he argued. The Dane seemed to be the only one not feeling awkward or embarrassed as everyone else tried to avoid meeting anyone else's eye. Berwald continued to glower in the alpha's direction.

Lukas cursed under his breath, unable to stop his cheeks from going pink before his hand came up to slap the back of his mate's head. "Would you please do us all a favour and stop talking!" he growled as Matthias winced.

"Aw, c'mon Norge… I still like you even if you do-"

"Shut up!" the Norwegian snapped, getting to his feet. "I'm going to grab some more coffee and you better be silent when I get back…" he warned before walking away.

Matthias frowned, still rubbing the back of his head. "What did I say?"

.o.)O(.o.

It appeared that Lukas was still in a foul mood when they boarded their flight to Barcelona. He completely ignored Matthias the entire trip to the airport and upon boarding chose the seat between the window and Emil before the Dane could beg him to sit with him.

Berwald didn't seem concerned by the small argument though, not even batting an eyelid when a pouting Matthias came to sit next to him and Tino. The Dane didn't remain long though, getting up as soon as he was allowed to in order to beg for Lukas's forgiveness.

"Does this happen a lot?" Tino asked, gazing at the alpha who was using every single apologetic phrase he knew.

"Ja." Berwald mumbled. "Ya get used ta it."

The Finn nodded, tearing his eyes from the pair who seemed to be getting somewhere with making up (Lukas wasn't shouting or abusing his mate at least) to rest his head on the swede's shoulder. He was fairly tired after last night. "Can you wake me when we get there?" he asked, nuzzling the taller blonde.

Berwald gave a small smile, nodding as he wrapped an arm around his mate. "Ja, ah will."

.o.)O(.o.

"So what now?" Matthias asked, an arm around Lukas's waist. It appeared that they had made up on the flight after all. "I suspect splitting up would be a stupid move if there ever was one…"

Ludwig nodded, glancing at the darkening sky before turning to Antonio. The vampires would be awake and capable of moving around soon. "This is your territory. Where do you think is most likely for a pair of vampires to be?"

The Spaniard looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'd probably say somewhere along the beach front, there's lots of tourists that no-one will miss for a few weeks and a nice view."

The Dane smirked, gesturing with his free hand. "Lead the way then. We've got some unfinished business to take care of!"

.o.)O(.o.

Arthur's eyes narrowed as he scented the air. "Run ahead and warn the others." He growled without looking at the boy at his side. It was dark enough that they were able to walk amongst the humans without causing any suspicion. "There're too many for us to take on alone."

Peter nodded, stretching as he also caught the scent in the air. "I'll have them meet you by the old pier. That should keep most humans away."

"Don't worry about the humans. We'll take care of them along with the wolves if we must."

The smaller hell hound nodded again. "We'll see. Leave some of them for me."

Arthur smirked, ears tracking the other as he moved through the crowd. His scent was obvious in the air and it would lead the packs straight into an ambush if all went according to plan.

It really was just too easy.

**A/N2: confrontation here we come :) the vampires and the two hell hounds are prepared for battle. Will the werewolves walk into the ambush? **

**And yes, Matthias is that blunt. He doesn't really get subtlety or privacy…**

**Please do me a favour and check out "breaking gleipnir" and "every dog has his day". I promise, you won't look at the characters the same afterwards, especially Lukas. His history will surprise you.**

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: that was funny to read :) thanks for that! I rambled again but the show down WILL happen next chapter… thanks for the review and the review for Euphoria! I'm glad you liked it :)**

**Starrynights1987: no worries, I've done the same before (back before I was posting on such a regular basis now I don't have time to be logged out…). I'm glad you liked it though! Thanks for the review!**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: only two more chapters to go! And damn was the end of this chapter fun to write! **

**And I may still have a chance with university! My application was unsuccessful because they didn't have a verified copy of my senior certificate which I'm sending in for the second round. I'm on edge since I don't have my original on me thus I have to really on my mom to get it verified and sent off from south Africa but with any luck the gods might just smile on me for once.**

**And is anyone else watching the conflict between China and Japan (and thus America) nervously? Because I am, Australia has close ties to China after all… not to mention that we sit right below both countries when Japan has the largest naval force in the world willing to help them against the second largest naval force…**

_When the world makes a turn_

_The eyes of one will learn_

_That a sound just like the wind_

_Only makes the change begin_

_By the end of the rain_

_The feeling's passed again_

_From the things that snap and bite_

_An unholy night_

_There's a break in the ground_

_Like the swirling waters_

_Angry as they pull you down_

_When the siren calls you go_

_To run with the wolf_

_To run with the wolf_

_Run with the wolf- Rainbow_

Tino shivered despite the warmth of the air. He could catch glimpses of the others through the crowd as they worked together to follow the scent trail they'd found. There was no need for their lupine senses this time; the trail was fresh enough that they could pick it up as they were to prevent panicking any of the humans still wandering around on the boardwalk.

They couldn't travel in a big group this time so they were all spread out into the various packs to avoid attracting any attention. Thirty nine people travelling together without any interest in the stores or scenery were too obvious whilst the smaller groups would ensure that no eyebrows were raised even if they didn't act like typical tourists.

He felt an arm wrap around him and leant into the touch, glancing up into Berwald's stern eyes. He seemed uneasy by the hell hound's scent, perhaps remembering the last time they'd had a run in with them where Tino had come off second best. The Finn didn't know what to say to ease both of their anxiety.

Thankfully Berwald seemed to be better suited to it, rubbing his mate's arm comfortingly. He could feel the pale scars from the hell hound's attack under his fingers. "We have the advant'ge this time." He murmured softly.

Tino nodded in response, fighting the urge to check that his gun was still tucked into the waistband of his jeans. Revealing that he had a weapon on him would only create panic amongst the humans even if the number of people around was dwindling as they left the more populated areas of the beachfront. He could feel the cool metal against his skin along with its weight and he tried to appease himself with that.

He may have known the truth behind Berwald's words but that didn't stop the sense of unease that was running through him.

.o.)O(.o.

Further ahead of them Matthias and Lukas were also uneasy but for a different reason.

"I can do it if you want… it would help us in the long run" the Norwegian mumbled in a quiet voice.

The Dane shook his head, glaring at his mate. "No Lukas. I won't let you go through that again. I still remember what happened last time…" he ordered.

"I was in over my head last time. I can do this."

"that's what you said last time Norge and remember how that turned out?" he sighed, his hands running down the Norwegian's back to trace the jagged scars he knew lay beneath his shirt. He didn't need to see or feel them to know where they were.

Lukas flinched at the memory, eyes going hard. "I won't be trying anything of that level Matthias."

"You haven't practiced magic since that day; any magic would be dangerous for you after that. Your fear will be used against you…"

"I'm not fucking scared Matthias."

"I am though. You could have died Norge; you almost did even with Berwald's interference. I came home to find you barely clinging to life and I don't even want to think about what would have happened if Berwald hadn't been there…" He sighed softly, trying to smile. "I won't risk losing you like that again Lukas…"

Lukas paused, stopping to stare at his mate. "And I won't risk losing you either Matthias… you can't stop me if I feel it's necessary."

"It won't be necessary. You'll see." Matthias promised, draping his arm around the Norwegian's shoulders as he started walking again. The only one's around them now were werewolves, most people turning back from the less inviting stretch of shoreline leading towards an old pier. The wooden structure seemed unstable which was probably why most people didn't bother with it.

A growl came from the Dane before he could hold it back when his eyes picked up on a figure standing in the shadows of the pier. Whoever it was was hidden in shadows to the extent that he couldn't tell if it was a vampire, hell hound or human but his instincts told him that it was an enemy. He withdrew his arm from around his mate to reach for his gun as Lukas stiffened.

"Not yet." Ludwig growled. "We need to be sure…" he cautioned as the packs drew closer to one another.

Matthias sighed and nodded, though he didn't lower his weapon. Around him other werewolves were doing the same, some seemed confident in their abilities whilst others shook nervously.

A rock shifted underfoot and made them jump as the Dane yelped, a pale blur knocking him flying as his gun went spiralling out of reach. Lukas growled fiercely, shifting as he charged the vampire who had pinned his mate.

It was chaos as more vampires launched themselves at the werewolves who fought fiercely to protect themselves and their mates and pack in both human and lupine forms. The werewolves may have outnumbered the vampires but their opponents had the advantage of surprise.

A young wolf with blackened eyes snarled as he snapped at Berwald's massive wolf form. The swede immediately recognised him as the one that had attacked Tino and was filled with unrestrained anger. He didn't care if he got bitten so long as he took the hell hound out. The Finn was at his side, trying to aid his mate but he couldn't risk shooting.

Arthur smirked as he stared out at the fighting, his form changing as he charged into the throng with a savage bark. He went straight for a pair of almost identical wolves that were worrying a single vampire with the aid of a pure white wolf, knocking the larger of the similar wolves to the ground.

The werewolves were holding their own but Tino wasn't sure how long that would last as he found himself thrown away from his mate by a vampire. He was growling and lashing out fiercely with his fists despite the vampire in question digging her fangs into his neck to soothe her blood lust. Her teeth and the Finn's struggles were leaving deep wounds in his neck.

Berwald was bleeding badly from several deep bite wounds. Lukas and Matthias were both covered in blood as the latter struggled to fight with a pronounced limp. Emil was crouching in front of his mate with bared teeth, Kaoru having been thrown against a large stone at the initial attack and lay completely still and unmoving in his human form.

Tino whimpered, his attempts to fight growing weaker from blood loss. He didn't even have the strength to change form. His vision was getting blurry and he barely registered when the vampire that was pinning him was torn from him. He blinked, trying to focus his gaze.

Matthias's teeth were buried in the vampire's neck, working to break the spinal cord as Lukas focussed on ensuring the Finn was alright before moving to help his mate. The Dane had succeeded in dispatching the vampire and was now taking care of the one that had targeted Emil.

"Call them off!" a voice shouted, the words clear above the fighting wolves and vampires. Tino looked towards the voice's owner with a small whimper, blood still pouring from his neck and making him feel dizzy.

The man's eyes weren't on any of the brawling mass though, even when they all froze. He was naked, large eyebrows turned down in a frown over emerald green eyes as he focussed on the one vampire standing away from the chaos.

Vladimir's eyes were angry and even nervous as they fixed on his consort, trapped on the ground by the werewolf with a piece of driftwood positioned against his chest that was directly over his heart.

Arthur smirked, his previously black eyes leaving the Romanian's for a moment to stare down at the Bulgarian at his feet before allowing his gaze to travel over to the large American alpha. Alfred was scratched up badly from his encounter with the hell hound. his fur was bloody in places and sticking up in clumps where the sanguine liquid had started congealing but his eyes were surprised rather than pain filled as they meet emerald green.

"Call off your coven and send the hell hound back to where it belongs." He growled, looking back at Vladimir as he put a bit of weight on the drift wood. Nikolas winced as the shattered tip dug into his chest, blood welling up around it. It wasn't deep enough to reach his heart but it was still painful. "Or I won't hesitate to stake him."

**A/N2: Arthur is back people! And you'll just have to wait until next time to see what the damage to the wolves was! And how the stalemate will end!**

**Review replies:**

**SmileyFacesSmile: I'm glad you like it! I'll probably have such a chapter detailing their relationship next chapter along with the result of the battle. Aw… I love you guys as well! Thanks for the review and the review for 'the Viking way'! Glad you liked that one as well!**

**Keiron: no worries, take your time! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for the review!**

**Guest: and it appears crossing your fingers worked since Arthur is back to being human! …well not quite human but you get the idea! Thanks for the review!**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: I don't know how I'm going to get through this chapter without it sounding like absolute bullshit with a multitude of errors but I'm going to try. Screw the fact that my eyes are stinging from bursting into tears every few minutes from a panic attack or that I can barely breathe without hyperventilating until I feel sick. Hell, even screw the fact that my hands are shaking. All of my behavioural quirks that I try to keep under wraps are coming out since I can't keep a grip on my emotions but I'm going to try to write this chapter instead of crawling into the nearest dark and confined space and whimpering like a kicked dog.**

**As I mentioned elsewhere I still had a chance with university since they needed my senior certificate faxed to them well turns out the want the education department to fax it to them. A thing about the South African education department, they don't give a fuck. Last chance to get into university? Oh I'm sorry we can't help you.**

**I've got less than forty eight hours to try and sort this out across two different countries and this could have been avoided if my mom had sent me my original senior certificate when I asked instead of just sending me a photo copy. This is the second time her refusal to believe that I want to remain in Australia has screwed me over. That aside it could have been prevented if the emails sent through from the admissions centre hadn't gone to spam where my Gmail deleted them after thirty days without me seeing them.**

**Apologies for the long ass rant. Warnings for character death.**

_Flames to dust_

_Lovers to friends_

_Why must all good things come to an end?_

_Come to an end, come to an-_

_Why must all good things come to an end?_

_And the dogs were barking at the new moon_

_Whistling a new tune_

_Hoping it would come soon_

_And the sun was wondering if it should _

_Stay away for a day 'til the feeling went away_

_And the sky was falling _

_On the clouds were dropping and_

_The rain forgot how to bring salvation_

_The dogs were barking at the new moon_

_Whistling a new tune_

_Hoping it would come soon_

_So that they could die_

_All good things (come to an end) - Nelly Furtado_

Vladimir's eyes narrowed dangerously as he glared at the British wolf, no-one daring to move. "Hurt him and I'll end you." he warned.

"Try to end me and I'll stake him. Who do you think will be faster?" Arthur scoffed. "Now call them off or your consort dies for good."

The vampire sighed, looking away to gaze at his coven. "Do as he says." He growled, his eyes flashing when the vampires didn't immediately obey him. "Now!"

The remaining members of his coven glanced at one another before moving away from the werewolves. Only those who had perished through decapitation or been rendered immobile by broken limbs remained where they were. The young hell hound standing in a tense stand-off with Berwald snarled, snapping at Vladimir who hissed at him with bared fangs.

"To me Peter!" the Romanian snapped with a glare. His eyes were hard as he focussed on the young wolf. The hellhound gave a small growl before glowering at the swede and moving to Vladimir's side meekly.

The vampire crossed his arms before returning to glaring at Arthur. "It is done. Now let Nikolas go before I stop playing nice."

"Send the hellhound back and I'll consider it."

"You drive a hard bargain mutt." Vladimir grumbled before turning towards Peter and grabbing the scruff of his neck as the hell hound yelped and started struggling to break the grip. The vampire's grasp was unyielding though and he couldn't break free as the Romanian started spitting out angry words in his original tongue.

"Noi vă conduce de la noi, oricine ai fi, duhuri necurate, toate puterile satanice, toate invadatorii infernale, toate legiuni rele, ansambluri și secte. În numele tatălui am aruncat un lanț pe câine iadului. În numele fiului I-am aruncat afară. În numele spiritului sfânt am rupe acest, și toate, detine pe tărâmul omului." His face contorted as he forced some of the words out, as though the very sound of them stung him. He didn't stop though, bringing his free hand to his mouth and sinking his teeth into the underside of his wrist as peter yowled and whined.

He released the hellhound as blood started trickling down his arm, giving him no time to escape as he grabbed Peter's jaws and forced them open. The hell hound was snarling now even as his limbs trembled as blood was dripped down his throat.

Once he was released for good, he staggered away from the vampire. His lips were curled back as he coughed and spat, pained whines and howls leaving his jaws as he stumbled and practically fell over. Vladimir sighed, licking the blood on his wrist half-heartedly to help the wound to heal. "He'll be back to normal within the hour and the ones he bit tonight won't turn." He reassured.

Arthur nodded, lifting the makeshift stake from Nikolas's chest as the vampire glared at him and moved to safety. The other werewolves smirked, some moving to encircle the leader of the coven as the rest shifted and checked on their wounded.

"Tino? Ya okay?" Berwald asked softly as the Finn blinked blearily up at him. He seemed slightly disorientated as the swede put pressure against the wound on his throat to try and stem the bleeding. He was pale and almost completely limp in his mate's arms.

"…Did we win?"

"Ja we did." He reassured with a nod. Nearby Emil was practically beside himself with relief as Kaoru stirred with a wince and some confused mumbling. Gilbert appeared to be giving the members of the vampire coven an ultimatum, taking over for his brother as Ludwig checked on Feliciano who was still cowering away from the conflict. It appeared that Arthur had passed out because Alfred was kneeling beside him and looking completely out of his depth as his brother sighed and offered him advice on what to do.

Tino smiled wearily, closing his eyes with a sigh. It gave Berwald a heart attack at first before he saw his steady breathing. He smiled in relief, grabbing a piece of someone's torn shirt to tie tightly around the wound on his throat. The material worked better than his hands had he noted, lifting the Finn into his arms.

"How's he doing?" Matthias asked, loping over to him as he stretched his left arm with a wince.

"Ah think he'll be alrigh'… How's Kaoru?"

The Dane smiled glancing back at where the Asian was being supported by Lukas and Emil. He still seemed dazed but otherwise seemed fine. "Slight concussion by the looks of it but he'll live."

Berwald nodded, glancing down at his unconscious mate before looking back at the other blonde. "Thank ya…"

Matthias blinked in confusion. "For what?"

"Fer savin' him. Ah saw ya pull the vamp're off of him."

"He's family Berwald. Besides, I still owed you for what you did for Lukas…" The Dane smiled, clapping his pack mate on the back before shouting in pain. He'd chosen to use his left arm which was still hurting him.

"Matthias Køhler, if I catch you using that damn arm before I tell you that you can again I will kick your ass!"

The blonde grinned sheepishly as he stared at his mate. "but Norge, it was an accident! I forgot!"

"You forgot that you had a dislocated shoulder?!"

"…Yeah?"

Lukas rolled his eyes. "Just give Berwald a hand with Tino. We should probably patch everyone up while the others keep Vladimir under guard…"

.o.)O(.o.

Tino was frowning as he scratched at the stiff bandages wrapped around his neck. His stitches were itching like mad and he couldn't get at them. he pouted when a firm grip held his wrists to keep him from attacking his wounds further.

"Leave 'em Tino." Berwald warned, releasing his hands when the Finn looked at him. The swede also had several bandages on him from where bite wounds had been stitched closed.

"But they itch!"

The tall blonde just rolled his eyes. "Doesn' matter. Lukas will kill ya if ya tear the stitches…"

"kill is putting it lightly." The Norwegian growled before hissing in pain. "God damn it Matthias! What are you a butcher? How hard is it to stitch a wound?" he snapped.

"Sorry Norge… it's tricky doing this right handed…" the Dane apologised, tying off the thread. "How's the head feel Kaoru?" he asked as Lukas examined his stitches.

The Asian sighed, moving an ice pack away from his forehead with a wince. "Like I ran into a brick wall at full speed…" he grumbled before putting the cold packet back against the lump on his head and returning to leaning against his mate. Not a single one of them was completely unscathed.

"So when do we need to get back?" Tino asked to distract himself from the infuriating itching.

"Just before sunset. Vladimir and those who remained with him can't try anything till then anyway. Not unless they want to burn." Matthias sighed. Almost all of the Romanian's coven had chosen to denounce him as their leader than be punished alongside him and would be scattering to the far corners of the globe at the first opportunity. "He'll be tried at nightfall."

None of them felt the need to say that it wouldn't be considered a fair trial by human standards. Then again, they were so sore and tired they didn't really care.

Tino hummed slightly in acknowledgement, lounging against his mate wearily. "I wonder how the kid's doing… Peter I mean."

"He went with Alfred and Arthur so I'm sure he's alright." Lukas grumbled.

.o.)O(.o.

"You didn't give a damn about me before why should you care now?" Peter snapped as he arrived where the werewolves were meant to be gathering with the last remaining member of his pack. "I don't have to listen to you!"

"Watch your language! And since I was your alpha you actually do!" Arthur growled before glaring at Alfred who was following behind him. "Don't you dare say anything!"

"What do you mean dude? I wasn't going to say anything even if I am stronger than you…" he grinned.

"That was a fluke!"

Ludwig cleared his throat when it looked like the trio weren't going to cease their arguing. "If you're done then I believe we have more important issues to attend to." He warned, glaring at them until they stopped talking. The last glimmers of daylight were fading swiftly from the sky when they finally settled.

"Vladimir. Come on out." Ivan growled once all light but moonlight was gone. He stared murderously at the windowless shack the wolves surrounded until the door creaked open.

The vampire still stood proudly but his eyes were sad and resigned as he glanced at the only member of his coven that had stood by him when the going got tough. "You ready to get this over with then?" he murmured.

"Do you admit to summoning a hell hound to decimate our numbers aru?" Yao asked with crossed arms.

Vladimir nodded. "To state the obvious… I do."

"Were you responsible for the destruction of all but two of the pack ruling the United Kingdom?" Alfred wrapped his arm around Arthur's shoulders when his newly found mate flinched at Antonio's words.

"In a roundabout way… Let's cut to the chase shall we? There's nothing I can say that will convince you that I'm not guilty after all… I could conduct a whole spiel on how the devil made me do it and you'd still take my head off…" Vladimir grumbled. Nikolas frowned at his words, hating the reminder that there was no way the Romanian would escape the situation.

"Very well… Do you admit that you are guilty of the crimes we accuse you of?" Ludwig said, blue eyes fixed on the vampire's.

"Doesn't matter either way since you mutts have little to no sense of mercy… But yes, I do." Vladimir sighed.

The German nodded, turning his gaze to the brunette beside the Romanian. "And you? Do you claim knowledge of and participation in his crimes?"

Vladimir's eyes flashed. "Leave him out of this! I was acting alone! He had no part of it!" he growled.

"Liar…" Matthias snorted, earning a scowl in his direction from the fuming Romanian. Nikolas cut him off before he could speak again.

"Enough Vlad. We've already discussed this… I won't leave you." he sighed before meeting Ludwig's gaze. "Yes, I do." Vladimir appeared murderous at his words as the werewolves nodded and shared several glances before saying the words that made his blood run cold.

"so be it."

.o.)O(.o.

Tino's eyes struggled to leave the two lone figures tied down side by side near the lapping waves. He could make out Vladimir's lips moving as he spoke quietly to his consort, neither able to break free since they couldn't move enough to use their inhuman strength. It was quite a sad sight in his opinion as the eastern horizon started to gain a reddish tinge.

"So we're in agreement then? We open up our borders to one another." Ludwig murmured, drawing the Finn's attention back to the conversation. They had been struggling with reorganising the packs since Nikolas and Vladimir had been tried.

"I don't know dude… I'm still not fond of the idea of letting Mattie go with you let alone this." Alfred argued.

"Agreed, some of us will use it as an excuse to steal from others…" Matthias grumbled as he glared in Ivan's direction.

"I'm fine with the idea as long as you guys ask my permission before turning up on my doorstep." Antonio countered.

Jett nodded with a grin. "I agree with the Spaniard mates."

"Da, it'll be nice to have visitors don't you agree Yao? We could all become one!" Ivan smiled as several people flinched and skirted away from him.

"Like, people won't want to visit us if you act so totes creepy…" Feliks scolded before hiding behind a nervous Toris when the Russian turned to glare at him.

Yao sighed softly, wondering what he was letting himself in for. "Ivan behave yourself. Provided everyone acts respectful of one another's territory I will accept the proposal."

"I will accept it provided Romania is added to my territory. I lost a lot of territory to you lot after all…" Sadiq mused as he stared pointedly at Antonio.

Matthias grinned at the Turk's train of thought. "I'm with Sadiq. Return southern Denmark to my control and we have a deal Ludwig!"

The German frowned before sighing. "Fine."

Any more raised comments were cut off as a screech pierced the air. Tino turned to face the East, shielding his eyes from the first rays of light as the pair of vampires writhed under the suns wrath. Their skin was smoking and blistering further with each passing second as the sunlight grew ever stronger.

.o.)O(.o.

Nothing remained of the two ancient beings but slightly seared rope and a few grains of ash Tino realised with surprise as he wandered over to where Vladimir and Nikolas had meet the sun. Any trace of them had been blown away by the light sea breeze that was blowing.

He lightly brushed his fingertips against the bandages on his neck, using the feeling to distract himself from the fighting and arguing going on behind him. It had started with Carlos flipping Alfred off after requesting Antonio's permission to spend time in the Spaniard's territory and had spiralled out of control. Those that had been trapped in the same territory for centuries on end now had the option to see the world much to certain werewolves' dislike.

Yao was glaring at Kiku, the Japanese wolf was conversing softly with Feliciano and Ludwig much to the Chinese alpha's anger. Alfred was trying to convince Arthur to join him in America with him whilst the British wolf was adamant about remaining in the UK at the same time as he argued with Peter. The young boy was still giving him grief.

"I don't care what you say! I'm old enough to choose for myself!" He snapped before running away from the emerald eyed man.

Tino jumped as the boy collided with his legs, peter having not been watching where he was going in favour of continuing to shout at his old alpha. "Sorry…" he mumbled with a smile.

"No worries! You're Peter right?" the Finn asked curiously.

The boy nodded in response before flushing as he recognised him. "Yeah… You're the guy I attacked… I'm really sorry about that!"

Tino shrugged, still smiling cheerfully. "Don't worry about it, it happens! Okay, not normally but you know what I mean… I'm Tino by the way, so where are you heading after this?"

Peter sighed, looking sheepish. "…I don't know yet." He admitted.

The Finn frowned before glancing up at where Berwald was with a pleading expression. The swede had left Matthias and Lukas where they were talking with Gupta and Sadiq in favour of tracking down his mate. "Berwald?"

The tall blonde raised an eyebrow, not really trusting the other's expression. "…Ja?"

"I'll love you forever if you do me one little favour!"

**A/N2: feeling a bit better now. Still not a hundred percent but better.**

**Long ass chapter is long. And yes, Tino is manipulative when he puts his mind to it… only one more chapter to go!**

**Translation (done with Google translate so please bear with me. First half is part of a Christian exorcism prayer, second part is my own):**

**noi v****ă**** conduce de la noi, oricine ai fi, duhuri necurate, toate puterile satanice, toate invadatorii infernale, toate legiuni rele, ansambluri ****și ****secte. ****Î****n numele tat****ă****lui am aruncat un lan****ț**** pe c****â****ine iadului. ****Î****n numele fiului I-am aruncat afar****ă. În numele spiritului sfânt am rupe acest, și toate, detine pe tărâmul omului – we drive you away from us, whoever you may be, unclean spirits, all satanic powers, all infernal invaders, all wicked legions, assemblies and sects. In the name of the father I cast a chain on the hound of hell. In the name of the son I cast him out. In the name of the holy spirit I break this, and all, holds on the realm of man. (Romanian)**

**Review replies:**

**Blueeclipse: thanks :) sadly not a professional yet but a girl can dream right? I'm glad you liked it! And ja, it was Alfred who turned Arthur back. Thanks for the review!**

**Keiron: battles are definitely fun :) particularly battles involving supernatural beings! Me? Kill Kaoru? …okay, if it helped with the plot I would have had no qualms but I behaved this time! Thanks for the review!**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: and more than a month after this story's beginning we've reached the end. Rather sad actually… this is my longest story after all… I've grown to love the Nordics through Hair of the dog…**

**But what am I doing holding you back from the story? Enjoy the last instalment of Hair of the Dog!**

**For the last time, Hetalia isn't mine.**

_I won't tell you, there's nothing beneath your bed_

_I won't sell you, it's all in your head_

_This world of ours is not what it seems_

_The monsters are real but they're not in your dreams_

_Learn what you can from the beasts you defeat_

_You'll need it for some of the people you meet_

_Goodnight demon slayer, goodnight_

_Now it's time to close your tired eyes_

_There are devils to slay and dragons to ride_

_If they see you coming, hell they better hide_

_Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight_

_Goodnight my little slayer, goodnight_

_Goodnight demon slayer - Voltaire_

Berwald sighed when he heard the fire alarm go off, immediately going to investigate. He already knew the cause for it but it didn't hurt to make sure that Tino wasn't, in fact, burning the house down.

The Finn in question was pouting as he stared at burnt remains of whatever it was that he'd been attempting to make, the pan smoking ominously. "Tino… what did we say abou' ya cookin'?" Berwald chuckled, taking the pan away from his mate to try and scrape the inedible remains from the bottom of it.

"It's not fair though! You always have to cook since the others aren't here and I just wanted to do something nice for you!" he grumbled.

"Ah don' mind cookin' fer ya if it means ya not burnin' the house down. Lukas will kill us if the house isn' standin' when he 'nd Matthias get back." Berwald teased. He set the pan in the sink before moving to switch the alarm off.

"I'm not that bad am I?"

"Ya've almost burn' the house down three times this week, once while doin' nothin' but boilin' water fer some pasta."

Tino sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, point taken… but what will we do for breakfast now?"

The swede gave a small smile, tilting the Finn's face upwards to kiss him. "Ah'll do it, ya can make us some coffee 'nd try ta tear Peter away from the TV." He ordered. "What were ya tryin' ta make anyway?"

Tino went pink at the reminder of his failed cooking attempt. "…pancakes. Matthew emailed me the recipe when he passed through Denmark with Gilbert a few weeks ago." He admitted.

Berwald nodded. "Ah can do that." He assured.

The Finn smiled in response moving to put some coffee on while his mate made up a fresh batter. He may not have been good at cooking (okay, not good was putting it lightly, he was awful at it) but at least he could make nice coffee.

He was humming softly as the coffee brewed, eyes going to Berwald as the pancakes started cooking. He really was lucky he mused, unashamedly staring at the swede when he wasn't looking. He blushed when the tall blonde sensed his gaze and turned to meet his eyes.

"What are ya lookin' at?" he asked with a frown as his mate went red.

"Hahaha… nothing! Okay I may have been looking at you… don't judge me!"

Berwald just laughed softly, making sure the pancakes wouldn't burn before kissing his flustered mate. "Wouldn' dream of it." he murmured softly, lightly tracing the scars on Tino's neck. The thin pale band of scar tissue that circled his throat was only broken by a pair of jagged scars from both the silver he'd been bound with and the vampire bite several months ago.

The Finn sighed contently. "I love you…"

"Love ya ta Tino. Now go get Peter, the pancakes are almos' done." He said, releasing the man who pouted at the loss of contact.

"Alright…" he sighed softly, grabbing two mugs for the coffee before heading through to the lounge.

Peter sat entranced by cartoons on the TV, only looking away when Hanatamago came bounding up from down the passageway with the tennis ball the boy would then throw for her. The puppy was no longer as small as she had been though she was still the perfect size for Tino to pick up and cuddle.

The boy looked up at his approach. "Is breakfast ready Mum?" he asked. The name always made Tino want to either groan or smile. One the one hand it was nice to be seen as a parent, on the other being labelled as the woman was humiliating. Peter had overheard Berwald referring to the Finn as his wife and the name had unfortunately stuck.

"Joo it is, you ready to eat?"

The blonde boy nodded eagerly, switching off the TV to follow after Tino. Hanatamago was bounding along enthusiastically at his side; the dog had immediately taken to the boy. The Finn smiled at the sight before pausing when his sensitive hearing picked up on the postman arriving. "You go on, I'll just get the mail!" he promised, running to go pick it up.

There were only a few envelopes in the mail box, most of them bills. He grinned though when he saw a particularly thick envelope with a stamp from Botswana in the corner, his smile only grew when he saw the sender. He ran back inside, clutching the letter tightly.

Berwald had already set the table and poured the coffee into two mugs for them as Peter chowed down on the pancakes. "Wow mum! These are brilliant! Here Hana, try it!" the boy said, cutting off a small bit to give to the young dog who was begging at his feet. He sounded slightly surprised by how edible the food was.

"Don' feed her at the table Peter…" Berwald warned as Tino scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I actually burnt the originals… Berwald made them." He admitted.

"Oh, well they still taste awesome! Thanks Dad."

"What have ya got there Tino?" the swede asked, smiling at the boy's comment as he gave the Finn his coffee.

Tino sat down, smile returning as he set the letter aside to sip at the hot beverage. "Matthias and Lukas sent us a letter." He explained, putting his mug down to start on his pancakes. "Just let me eat and we can open it up okay?"

.o.)O(.o.

Tino was leaning against Berwald's side with a fresh cup of coffee as they all gathered on the couch to read the letter over the swede's shoulder. Peter was practically hanging off of the tall blonde so that he could see. Inside the envelope was a large pile of photos (obviously printed off a computer if the thin paper was anything to go by) and a letter printed in Lukas's neat script.

_Dear Berwald, Tino and Peter._

_I hope you guys are doing well and not destroying the house. I swear to god if the house has been burnt down in our absence I will personally kick your ass Berwald. I told you not to let Tino cook and I don't care if you can't say no to him._

_Matthias says hi, he wanted to be the one writing this but I decided it would be better if I did. I don't want Peter being scarred for life and told him so. It also helps that the idiot is bed ridden with a bad sunburn after refusing to put any sunblock on. You'd think he'd do so since we're in the middle of the Kalahari Desert but it appears he didn't learn his lesson from when we were in Egypt… _

_It's hot as hell here but still interesting I guess. You can probably get the idea from the photos we sent. Lots of places to run provided we don't mind heat stroke._

_Of course the wildlife is problematic. I had to convince Matthias that hunting a rhino was unethical seeing as they were endangered and all so he decided to take on a buffalo. How the idiot is still alive I don't know… I turned my back on him after stitching him up and the second I look back he's poking a two metre long and extremely pissed off cobra with a stick. His excuse was that he didn't know it was poisonous and it looked cool…_

_Other than the repetitive run ins with the wildlife (Matthias has also had run ins with not only a lion but also crocodiles, elephants, a pack of wild dogs and even a honey badger. Though the honey badger was funny I'll admit.) It's been nice. We even ran into Jett and James when we were in Namibia last week. It appears James is also having a tough time keeping his mate from messing with the wildlife since he was attempting to pull a rock python off of him…_

_We'll be heading across to Zimbabwe in a few days (provided we don't die of heat stroke) to see Victoria Falls and then we'll go into South Africa for a bit so if all goes according to plan we should be home in a month or so. It'll be nice to see some snow again, Africa is really lacking in the stuff unless you want to climb a mountain… the cooler weather will also be nice._

_Say hi to Emil and Kaoru when they get back from China for me. They should be preparing to head home soon…_

_Lukas and Matthias_

Tino smiled, grabbing at the photos to flip through them. "It looks like they're having fun at least." He mused, chuckling slightly as he came across a photo of Matthias trying to throw the honey badger off of him. The Dane was covered in scratch and bite marks as he tussled with the small black and white animal, his mouth was open in an apparent attempt to convince his mate for help. Apparently Lukas hadn't helped him if the pictures were anything to go by.

"Ja it does." Berwald agreed, looking over his shoulder. "We should go somet'me…"

"Well we do have forever."

Peter grinned at the idea. "I can come too right?"

The pair nodded. "Of course you can Peter." Tino smiled, nuzzling his mate's side tenderly. He chuckled as he came across a photo that Matthias obviously took. The Dane had his arm around Lukas's shoulder, pressing him tightly to his side. The Norwegian was scowling, looking angry to anyone who didn't know him well. The Finn could see a small, barely noticeable smile playing on his lips though.

"We should frame it." the swede murmured softly as he took the photo from him. He knew that Lukas would be embarrassed by it but he didn't care. They only had a few photos like that around the house and it would be nice to add to them.

"Joo we should." Tino agreed, kissing the taller blonde. "Maybe we can get a similar photo of us sometime…"

"Ja."

Peter's nose wrinkled slightly at the obvious displays of affection between his two parental figures. "Mum! Dad! Do you have to do that here?" he grumbled, making the two pull apart. The Finn was blushing slightly whilst the swede just raised an eyebrow.

"Ya don' have ta watch…" Berwald murmured, kissing his mate again.

The boy rolled his eyes muttering about how gross it was. He jumped up from his seat, calling to Hanatamago. "I'm going to go play with Hana until you guys stop being so gross okay?"

.o.)O(.o.

"Did you mean what you said about us going away sometime?" Tino asked softly as he lay against his mate's bare chest. His fingers were lightly tracing one of Berwald's more pronounced scars, one that stretched from shoulder to hip. He wondered how he'd gotten it but didn't ask, there'd be other times for such conversations.

"Course ah did. Ah'd love ta see the worl' with ya. We can go whenever ya want once the others get back. We have all etern'ty…"

The Finn nodded, a smile on his lips. "I'd like that." He replied.

"Ah love ya Tino."

"Joo, I love you too. Forever."

**A/N2: and there you have it! Told you I'd come up with a happy ending! I chose to send Matthias and Lukas to Africa purely because I know the continent. I've walked the South African bushveld and seen storms rolling across the mountains of the cape of storms, I've seen pictures and heard stories of the countries to the north from my aunt and uncle's travels and experienced the wildlife.**

**And as for the honey badger thing… well they are actually that plucky. Even lions give them a wide berth since the creatures think they are bigger than they actually are… they're smart too, I've heard of one that actually could unlock a door where wildlife trophies were kept whilst avoiding any traps set for it so it could get at the meat. The rock python thing was based on my step mom's brother who recently had to pull one off of his Jack Russell on his game farm. The dog stupidly tried to pick a fight with the 4-5 metre long snake…**

**Now to finish up the three side stories for this (the spamano one 'every dog has his day', the DenNor one 'breaking gleipnir' and the fruk one 'let sleeping dogs lie' which has yet to be written). I'll get to work on those in a day or two since I want to get some work done on my novel. **

**Review replies:**

**Keiron: yep, that was my plan for him all along! Thanks, it'll work out in the end, that's the belief I cling to at least. When one door closes another opens, and if it doesn't, just run through a closed window like Tino does :) thanks for all the reviews for this fic!**

**Foreign language: thanks, I'll fight through it though :) I always do after all! No need to thank me for this story, if anything, thank you for reviewing!**

**Shahi: ja, it'll work itself out eventually, I'm not one to let fate play me for the fool… Arthur overcame his hell hound when he attacked Alfred during the battle. Unlike Tino who pretty much passed out straight away though the adrenaline allowed him to at least shift the tide of battle before he passed out from exhaustion. Hope that clears things up! Ja, I ship Fruk and Usuk equally so the one I favour generally depends on the plot. In 'tainted', initial usuk and eventual fruk was better suited to the story line but here it was the opposite with initial fruk and eventual usuk :) I typically ship world peace I guess… so anyone with everyone! Thanks for the luck and thanks for all the reviews!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited, followed or merely read this story! You guys are all awesome and I hope to see you during the side stories!**

**Tot siens!**

**BrattyTeenageWerewolf**


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